Dragonball Eien
by lilDBZbuddy89
Summary: The Continuation of Saiyan Princess, loosely follows the events described in Dragonball Online. What happens after Goku leaves to train Uub? Is the Universe forever safe from threats now that Buu has been vanquished? With the emergence of a new generation of fighters looming in the distance, what new dangers does Earth face?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 001 – Return to the Dragon Ball World**

_It has been six years since the twenty-eighth Tenkaichi Budokai took place, the day Goku left his family and friends to train Uub. Peace has remained on Earth for the most part. A handful of foolish Earthlings continue to cause havoc for their fellow Earthlings but their attempts are snuffed out, whether they be a criminal, an animal or monster terrorising others, or a little blue man with a woman and dog as his sidekicks attempting to take over the world!_

_No one has heard from Goku since he left. This has left some of those close to him bitter, whilst others accept Goku will always be Goku. Training the reincarnation of Buu to control his powers, the Earth's saviour continues to grow stronger alongside his student. However he is not the only one striving to become stronger. Constantly hidden away in the gravity room in his home in West City, the Saiyan Prince continues his own training, determined to overtake or match his long-term rival. His Namekian rival also continues his training, aiding in training the younger prodigies of the new age of fighters. Human warriors take it at their own pace, some training at their own rate accepting they are a long way off their Saiyan friends. Some still remain Champions of the tournaments, fixing fights with their Majin friend. Other former fighters have settled down, now too busy with work and family life to train seriously, unless their children demand a sparring session. Other young Saiyan-Human hybrids drift along through life, unsure of where they are heading and what they are truly passionate about. _

_Life has become somewhat slower-paced since the sixteen years of peace started on Earth, almost disrupted for a short space of time by a duo of Freeza's forces chasing a certain Saiyan Prince and his bride. A short 'emperor' once more attempts to take over the world with his two bumbling sidekicks but finds himself stopped by a lavender-haired boy and another identical to the boy who'd always stopped him in the past. A certain violent blonde-haired thief made the news with her one-hundredth breakout from jail before sneezing back to her calm blue-haired self and eluding the law once more._

_The former Z fighters, now partially disbanded due to the lack of need for their services continue to live their lives in peace alongside the rest of the Earth. Their children attend their local schools, growing in a peaceful time._

_Will peace last here in the Dragonball world?_

_In Age 790, six years after the disappearance of Goku, another Tenkaichi Budokai is approaching..._

* * *

Age 790, May 4th

The wind blew across the sandy shores, picking up loose fragments and carrying them off into the big blue above and beyond. The sun beat down on the small island in the middle of a vast, clear ocean; its oppressive heat warming the shallower waters which glistened in its light. On a particularly small beach set on the west coast of the island, two warriors stood a distance from the lapping sea looking in at the island laid out before them. Luscious trees bearing red fruits dotted a noticeable line where the beach ended and the dirt began, tropical and marine birds chirping and squawking amongst the branches and in the crags of nearby cliff faces feeding their young. To the left of them a tall cliff towered over the beach as it stretched around the bend behind the rocky outcrop; to their right another cliff, this one speckled with small homes made of basic but sturdy material peering over to the beach and sea beyond. Straight ahead of them a few miles away stood a single tall mountain, not tall enough to be lightly capped with white but tall enough to seem immersed in the lower clouds which brushed over the tip.

It was a wondrous, beautiful sight to behold. The mid-spring had settled in nicely as the flowers started to bloom, shades of white, pale yellows, pastels and brightening hues all dotted randomly against the green backdrop of the grassy ground. Trees were sprouting new leaves; the old leaves had long ago fallen to make way for the new, fresh buds sprouting out in their place. The waters were still chilly due to the winter weather but now they would grow steadily warmer, bringing shoals and schools of tropical breeds of fish and bringing back migratory marine birds. The small human population of the island would no doubt make the most of the warmer, longer days, sending out fishermen on their small boats which had been recently provided for them thanks to a certain rich benefactor. The two men standing upon the beach were the reason for the sudden interest the fabulously wealthy man gave to the island's inhabitants, ensuring their living would not be threatened by inadequate and unreliable methods.

One of the two men – the slightly taller, lighter-skinned (which had been tanned over the years by the sun) man with dark unruly hair sticking out in most directions - wiped his forehead with a sigh of breath as he beheld his surroundings. The sun was as oppressive as he remembered it being on this small island, even in the spring. He had travelled to almost every corner of the globe and had explored most of its crevices and this island set in the middle of the sea had to be one of the hottest places he'd been – excluding any desert of course! "It sure is hot here! You'd think I'd be used to it by now," He uttered with a cheerful smile, taking in the scenery before them.

The other man – younger, darker and with hair which almost stood up on end save the bangs that fell before his forehead - smiled and turned to face him, a gleam in his eye of excitement and for good reason. He had been here many, many times before and it had always brought out a strong, powerful feeling in the pit of his stomach every time he returned to this place. Today was no different. "It's been a while since I've come home," He responded, eyes kept firmly on the taller man beside him. "I must admit the heat here has always been like a constant reminder that this is what home is like! Was it not as hot where you used to live, master?"

The taller man looked down at the younger with a look of bewilderment and wonder. "...What's up with you calling me 'master'? Really, just call me by my name!" he chuckled.

"Sorry mas- I mean... Goku," the other apologised. He hesitated before speaking again in fear of the response he'd get. "... So are you planning to go home to see your family now?"

"Uh... Well..." Goku scratched his head wearily not entirely sure what to do. "... I guess I should... but..."

"... What?" Uub asked intrigued and a little surprised his tutor was hesitant about heading home to visit his family. After all, Uub had been away from home for a few months now and missed his younger brothers and sisters and mother and father terribly. He couldn't imagine returning home and not being pleased and overjoyed to see them again.

"... Maybe not just yet..." Goku answered looking a little worried but with his ever-present smile unwavering, "My wife is probably going to kill me for not coming to visit like I said I would; I just lost track of time! Plus training you seemed more important to me at the time, Uub. I might just keep on travelling for a little while longer before I go home."

Uub wasn't sure whether to frown or not; family didn't seem to mean too much to his teacher, something Uub was not used to seeing at all. It had initially surprised him to learn that not everyone worked together in order to survive like his family and fellow villagers had to; most people in the highly populated cities of the continent seemed far more interested in helping themselves than helping others in need! However he'd been very fortunate that his teacher had been very compassionate and understanding so had let him return home whenever he felt he needed to visit. He hadn't realised that Goku had not been doing the same. There were many questions burning on the tip of his tongue and one prominent one made it past his lips:

"... Didn't you miss them?" He asked, not sure what Goku's reaction to this would be.

Goku seemed to be mulling the notion over, much to Uub's shock; was this really such a hard question to answer? Shouldn't the answer have been a quick and ready 'sure I missed them!'? The sudden movement of his teacher's head from looking up at the sky back down towards him caught Uub's attention and he patiently anticipated an answer.

At last Goku grinned. "Well I do miss Chichi's cooking a lot and sparring with the boys!"

Uub stared dumbfounded for the briefest of moments, unable to keep his footing from the sheer shallowness of that answer! Goku never ceased to shock and amaze him with his responses. Uub was aware of the man's true heritage as a Saiyan warrior yet he'd still been raised as a human boy. He'd never known anyone who seemed so blasé about family or friends, so carefree and unhindered by any sense of guilt or nagging feeling to see if those he loved were doing ok without him. Uub felt a little sorry for the wife, grown sons and grandchild of this teacher of his, certain they'd all be missing him dearly and wondering if they'd ever see him again...

The sound of footsteps closing in on the two did not go unnoticed; both Goku and Uub looked over to the right to see a couple of Uub's villagers heading over towards them. A smile appeared on the boy's face as he instantly recognised them all.

"Uub!" An elderly woman of the village cried, running over alongside a couple of younger villagers at a gentle pace, the woman still quite active for someone of her age. "It's been quite a while since you've come to visit us!" She beamed up at the boy who barely just passed the top of her head. He'd grown since the last time she'd laid eyes upon him, unsurprisingly of course!

"Elder," Uub recognised the woman and smiled. "I'm sorry for not coming to see you all sooner." He apologised and bowed in respect.

"Welcome back, Son Goku," the elder smiled at the Saiyan, although she was not aware he was an alien warrior! The villagers had come to know their prodigy's mentor as a hero for taking on their star fighter and for getting him sponsorship. "How has our Uub been?"

"He's made a big improvement since the last time we visited," Goku replied with a smile quickly glancing down at his pupil who blushed and averted his eyes from the others!

"Actually elder," Uub stuttered flattered by the praise, "We've both returned here because the training is complete... or so master Goku says."

The elder and the other villagers gasped in wonder and shock. The elder quickly regained her composure and smiled warmly. "So you're back for good then? That's wonderful! Your parents and siblings will be so happy to hear this." She turned to Goku once more craning her neck a little due to his height. "Thank you so much for looking after our young prodigy – and for all the help and support you have provided us with in order to make a living. It's thanks to you that Uub has been so generously sponsored that we are able to sustain our traditions and yet be able to live more prosperous lives; without it I'm not sure we would have been able to keep living here."

"It was no trouble at all to send you all my sponsor money," Uub went a deeper shade of red, awkwardly brushing his hand against the back of his hair. "I had little use for it and I knew it would be much better if I sent it to you all; it was for a far greater cause."

"You're too kind but it wasn't really because of me," Goku corrected the elder. "Thank Mr Satan for sponsoring Uub!"

"No, no!" The elder patted Goku on the back. "It is thanks to you that Uub has been able to hone his fighting skills! Without you I'm not sure any of this would have happened. Really, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Son Goku. Please stay for a little while with us; we shall host a banquet for your returns and for Uub's graduation!"

Goku blushed and laughed. "As much as I would love to, I think I ought to be heading back to my own family! Thank you for the offer, really..." A loud growl similar to that of an animal's threatening grumble came from the small group, followed by a lull of silence, most of the villagers staring that the tall warrior as if to question his next move. They all knew what was coming. "... Ok, maybe for a little while more!" Goku grinned giving into his stomach's demands. "I am pretty hungry!"

* * *

The sweat fell from his brow as he sat back, huffing from his workout. Wiping it away with one hand and brushing his matted fringe back from his face, he reached for his water bottle and took a large gulp of the refreshing cool liquid, relieved he'd remembered to bring a bottle out with him to top up whenever he needed to. Nearby, the stream he'd gathered the water from was moving at a steady pace as it raced down the side of the mountain. From there it fell towards a larger section of water where many of the smaller streams converged, passing through the forests and distant wastelands beyond as it travelled south for the ocean beyond the horizon. For a moment he watched as the water flowed past him, reminded of the many memories he had splashing about in this exact stream with his older brother and father catching their dinner for his mother to prepare.

It had been six years since his father had left them.

Goten sighed a little saddened at the reminder and glanced up at the bright blue sky, watching the clouds slowly drift across it pushed along by the winds. He wondered if his father was looking up at the very same sky...

Ever since Goku'd left, Goten had tried to become more dedicated to his training just as his father had wanted... It was tougher than he'd thought! Keeping a social life, helping his mother and brother to keep the houses running smoothly, making dates with women he'd met in nearby towns and cities were all taking up his time! Training came after all these things which Goten felt were far more important. The only reason he was currently out here in the back fields was because Chichi'd chucked her son out of the house so she could clean without him breaking anything! There was only so many times she would give in to his offers to help her out, not always remembering to use the appropriate amount of strength. It was a story his older brother and little niece found fun to recite over and over again at the dinner table whenever the family would all get together and eat at the same table.

The trail of a yellow cloud flying overhead caught Goten's eye and he watched as the small cloud descended over the mountains and vanished behind them, no doubt heading down towards the ground. It would seem someone was finally home from school. With that thought in mind, Goten rose back onto his feet and glanced back up at the sky once more momentarily. "... Father... where are you?" he mumbled quietly as if expecting an answer he knew would never come. Sure he could still sense his father's ki ever bright on the planet but the man had never made any indication to come home and see his family which saddened and angered Goten a little. Gohan'd become quite accepting of it saying to Goten this was just how their father was. Goten wasn't too impressed but accepted it reluctantly. Feet started to move across the grass as he made his way back home, jumping into the air and heading for the woods in the valley below.

He rushed through the dense undergrowth as a blur, almost no sign of his passing through was left save a few footmarks in the muddier trails. Before he knew it the clearing suddenly appeared before him; the road passing his home quickly bolting underneath him and then behind. Indeed his niece had returned home from school; Kinto'un was parked outside his and his mother's home rather than outside Gohan and Videl's home.

Goten wandered through the door which had been left ajar, "Hello? Mother?" He called loudly knocking gently on the door so as not to punch a hole through it (as had happened before on more than one occasion!)

"We're in the kitchen, uncle!" Pan's voice came from around the corner.

Goten walked into the room, half-surprised to see everyone was around the table but very surprised to see Mr Satan amongst them! It had been a while since the aging reigning world champion had eaten under their humble roof. Goten grumbled a little under his breath; he hadn't been informed that everyone would be joining them all for dinner! Why was he always the last to find out things in this house?

"Goten, we were just talking about the upcoming Tenkaichi Budokai tournament," Gohan smiled at his younger brother as he walked into the room, adjusting his glasses which were falling down the ridge of his nose. "Interested in joining?"

"Another Budokai?" Goten repeated with surprise, sitting himself down next to his mother.

"What's a Budokai?" Inari asked craning her neck around at an awkward angle to glance up at her father, sitting comfortably on his lap. The three-year old looked very similar to her older sister Pan but had her mother's eyes as opposed to her father's, though she did have her father's colouring. Her dark hair was medium length and tied back in pig-tails which fell to lightly brush her shoulders. The look of inquisitiveness was one that often graced her face.

"It's the name of the tournament that your grandfather enters with Mr Buu," Videl explained to the toddler. "You remember, that special game grandpa Satan plays with those other strong fighters?"

"They're held every three years now," Gohan added. "It's like a game. Sixteen people will be able to play. One person will fight with another person and whoever wins goes to the next part of the game. Then whoever is the winner out of those sixteen people will get to fight with your grandfather because he was the winner last time. Whoever wins that fight will become the new winner of the Budokai."

"Of course no one's gonna beat your gramps!" Mr Satan chuckled; the majority of people within the room knew the true reason why this was the case as opposed to the facade that was so heavily popular across the globe!

"... Sound's hard..." Inari mumbled giving it a lot of thought, clamping her eyes shut as if the thought would make her head explode if she concentrated too hard.

"Grandpa, tell uncle Goten to enter!" Pan grinned, jumping forward off her seat and slamming her hands down on the table with excitement, making her little sister snap out of her thoughts with a squeak and slight look of fear, until she realised what caused the loud noise! Inari shot her older sister a disgruntled look.

"Pan, not so hard or you'll break it," Videl scolded her eager daughter with a stern but not overwhelming tone.

"It wouldn't be the first time one of our super strong members of the family would have done it," Chichi smiled wryly, reminiscing momentarily as memories of her sons and husband breaking tables and other household objects fluttered through her mind's eye.

"You want me to enter?" Goten gawked; his oldest niece nodding her head with anticipation and approval. "No way!" He shook his head defiantly. "I'm not entering."

"Aww come on uncle," Pan wailed with disappointment, much like a child being denied sweets or being told they couldn't have the toy they so desperately wanted. "I'm entering so you should too!"

"You're not gonna?" Gohan asked passing a surprised look to his younger brother. He had to admit he hadn't been expecting a blunt 'no' from his younger sibling, especially with all the recent training he'd been up to! Apparently his assumption about his brother's interest in sparring and training was wrong...

"Are you?" Goten emphasized the last word as he eyed his brother in chagrin.

"No, I haven't been training in years," Gohan shook his head with a chuckle as if to ask why his brother had even suggested it. "You on the other hand should; you've been training a lot recently so why not give it a shot?"

"What, and end up fighting against Buu again?" Goten raised an eyebrow shuddering at the pressure and remembering how lucky he'd felt knowing that Budokai had been cancelled! If there was one reason he was glad his father'd taken off with Uub that day, it was for getting him out of fighting Buu. "No thanks!" He folded his arms defiantly.

"Aww but I'm entering uncle!" Pan whined displeased with what she was hearing. "Come on uncle, please?"

"I said no," Goten tightened his folded arms, the stern expression on his face intensifying despite several pairs of disappointed eyes gazing in his direction. "I'm not going to change my mind!"

"Now wait a minute," Videl butted in, head turning to her daughter with alarm. "Pan, since when were you entering?"

Pan sent her mother a deer-caught-in-headlights look; she had hoped she wouldn't have had to have asked for permission to participate since she'd been allowed to six years ago - and as a young child no less! "Aww come on mama, please?" Pan pleaded with a smile, attempting to make as cute a face as she could, hands clasped together and to her chin. "Please let me enter! I'll be fine!"

"I don't remember you asking me and your father before you made this decision," Videl pointed out, frown unwavering. She knew all her daughter's tricks; she'd had every trick in the book thrown at her by her strong-willed eldest child. She was a master of attempting manipulation – the key word being attempting. It never succeeded, not on her mother at least! Videl after all was the one who'd written the book; her daughter could not win against her mother at her mother's own game!

"Can I mama? Can I papa?" Pan asked pleadingly, sending puppy-dog looks towards her slightly more lenient father, who quickly turned his eyes away from her! "Please can I enter the Budokai?"

Gohan and Videl exchanged glances; neither parent giving their decision away which just made it all the more tense for their eldest child! At last they looked back to her, still neither face was giving anything away! She didn't get it; how were her parents able to communicate without changing facial expressions or even talking?! Were they psychic or something?

"Well... as long as you use an appropriate amount of force on your normal human opponents," Gohan finally smiled at his daughter.

"I will," Pan nodded willingly seeing her chance. "I promise I will!"

"Then you may enter."

"Yay! Thank you papa!" Pan cheered and jumped on the spot with joy.

"So who else is entering? I know some of the guys at the dojo were talking about entering until they heard Buu was going to enter again!" Videl asked changing the subject and looking over to her husband and then her father. "There isn't going to be a Junior Division this year, is there?"

"Good," Pan smiled clambering back onto her seat, "I wanna fight the adults; that's much more fun! Beating up little kids your own age isn't much of a challenge and it feels pretty mean!"

"Well Buu's enterin' again," Mr Satan mumbled. "Other than him and me, I'm not sure."

"I'm entering!" Pan pointed out.

"Quieten down Pan, there's no need to shout across the table," Videl growled sternly, rubbing her temple.

"Does anyone at Capsule Corp know about this?" Gohan perked up with realisation.

"I haven't told anyone over there yet," Mr Satan shrugged his shoulders.

"... I'll give Bulma a call," Gohan rose from his chair, handing Inari to their mother; the little girl jumping straight off her mother's lap and onto the chair her father'd been sitting in, pleased there was finally a free chair to sit on!

"This is gonna be so exciting!" Pan beamed excitedly, clenching her fists in anticipation. "I can't wait to see who else will be there! I'll have to tell Chuka about this, I'm sure she'll enter if she knows I'll be entering! Hey, d'you think grandpa Goku will be there?"

The words had left her mouth before she could stop them. The room fell silent at the mention of Goku's name. It was almost taboo to bring him up, every time someone mentioned him there seemed to be a cold, heavy feeling in the room which only dragged everyone down. No one had seen or heard from him since the Tenkaichi Budokai six years ago.

"... Was it something I said?" Pan asked, clamming up a little and frowning with embarrassment. Every time someone brought him up, the reaction was always the same. It was always the uncomfortable lull where everyone suddenly seemed solemn and deflated, as if someone'd just poked them with a needle and let the happiness out of their bodies. Their family member's lack of visiting and not living up to his word had left a bit of a bitter residue in some of them, others feeling sad rather than resentful that the man hadn't stayed in contact like he said he would. Of course they could have gone to visit him instead but knowing what he was like, they decided not to disturb him from his training if he really believed training Uub was vital to the Earth's safety. Better to wait for him than to disrupt them...

"... He might be," Goten spoke up after a while. "Didn't dad always used to enter the Budokai when he was little? Maybe he'll be there again!" It was more a wish than a realistic suggestion.

"H-He wasn't there last time," Videl mentioned with a tone of nervousness in her voice, "... Maybe we shouldn't get our hopes up." Her caution and choice of words had been given plenty of thought – and for good reason.

"It's been six years and not even a letter or a phone call to tell us how he's doing!" Chichi grumbled angrily, tapping one finger on her arms which had crossed over her chest. "The man even has a grandchild he doesn't even know about!"

"That's dad for you," Gohan's voice came from around the door, peering his head through the doorframe. "He's always been like this... but maybe he will show up. At the end of the day he chose to train Uub for the sake of the planet's future."

"Would it kill him to come visit his family?!" Chichi bellowed, slamming her hands down heavily on the table, accidentally setting Inari off! The well-feared anger instantly subsided as Inari let loose a wail. "Ah! Sorry Inari!"

Videl cuddled her scared, bawling daughter and hushed her. "It's alright." She cooed to her sobbing daughter, "Grandma Chichi wasn't trying to scare you."

"... Grandpa will show up," Pan muttered quietly to herself, refusing to let her family's doubts consume her too. "I know he will. He has to. He just has to."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 002 – The Dilemmas of Work**

Age 790, May 5th

The hustle and bustle of city life was keeping the occupants of Capsule Corp busier than ever. With an increase in demand for certain new models of transportation, household goods and houses themselves, added to the ever-expanding need for more reliable and better technologies, production lines were on the increase. At the top of the corporate tree, Bulma was currently in a meeting with fellow traders along with her daughter and successor to the company, Hairiyu. Trunks had thankfully been spared going to the meeting as his mother had attended; normally he'd have to do so as although his sister was the first in line to becoming president, Trunks was still a vital member of the high-ranks. His older sister was now the Capsule Corp vice-president, soon to become president whenever their mother decided to retire or that her daughter was ready to succeed her. Trunks however was content to stay as vice-president once his sister had been promoted; at present he was happy to not be under the immense pressure his older sibling and mother had to deal with on a constant basis. Increasing demand had increased all their workloads.

The twenty-four year old sighed and fiddled with his pen, mulling the question over that had been plaguing his mind since last night. Was he going to enter the Budokai? More like was he going to be able to get the time off in order to enter the Budokai?

The short answer he knew would be no.

Trunks was far too busy with work and his mother and sister would not let him off easily; he had fallen behind in recent days on his paperwork and knew he'd have to pull it back somehow! That meant when the Budokai would be taking place in two days time he'd be stuck in the office doing his work and trying to catch up! He'd been told by his mother that Pan and Buu would both be entering, Goten currently unsure whether to enter or not. After their family discussed whether any of them would be entering, Trunks had been surprised to find out his father had chosen not to enter, seeing himself as needing to focus more on his training rather than compete in the tournament, though when asked if he'd be attending he'd given a single grunt. Not even the lure of Goku potentially being there was enough; the Prince had snorted and uttered that Goku would not be there... much to everyone's annoyance and sadness. No one needed to be reminded how sore they felt about Goku's lack of contact with them all.

Hairiyu wouldn't be entering; she hadn't had much time to train now she was a mother of two and working full-time as the vice-president of Capsule Corp. In recent years – and especially after the birth of hers and Soba's son Shio – she'd lost most of her interest and motivation in training as motherhood and her career swallowed up whatever free time she had left! Her husband Soba was currently hard at work too though he'd held back his hours to spend time with his young son and daughter for Hairiyu to go back to her demanding job. It hadn't been an easy decision but thankfully Soba's father had been very understanding about their situation, possibly due to his own shortcomings of his career choices when it came to his own children. The man had chosen his job over time with his children and perhaps he'd come to regret it in some form and so sought forgiveness through his son's work patterns. Whatever the reason – Trunks wasn't particularly bothered what it was – it meant that Soba had been able to spend some much-needed time with his children and Trunks wouldn't have to prematurely become Vice-President in absence of his sister! That in itself was a big relief!

His niece – Chuka – would likely be entering since Pan was, although it had taken quite a bit of persuasion by her mother to enter as usual. Since the day she'd been born, Chuka had always been a timid girl who had shown little passion for fighting; her only reasons for training and competing was either because her mother had encouraged her to, or Pan had managed to coax her into it! Trunks could tell within a couple of year's time the girl would probably no longer be training, just as he himself had done as a teenager. Her little brother on the other hand was showing a lot of interest in sparring though he was also a very energetic child. Shio was only five years old but was no push-over, yet he still had a lot to learn. He wouldn't be entering the tournament because in his own words, he didn't feel ready to fight other people.

The sounds of chairs scraping against the carpet from the room next to his told Trunks the meeting was apparently over. Whilst feigning heavy concentration on the slowly decreasing load of paper before him, he occasionally flicked his eyes up to the frosted glass lining the inner wall of his office. The double doors eventually opened and one-by-one the businessmen and women left the room. Two familiar silhouettes stopped in front of his door, the handle turning as the door swung open and his mother and older sister walked into the room. The large stack of paper in his mother's hands sent alarm bells in Trunks' mind and he eyed them with resentment.

"That was shorter than I thought it would be," Hairiyu mumbled through a yawn, stretching her arms above her head. They'd been in there for the past hour-and-a-half and she had become pretty uncomfortable in her seat after a while! Though she'd had enough years to understand the technical anagrams and phrases the majority of the business personnel had used, it still wasn't easy to listen to or concentrate on for so long!

"It was a good deal; now we'll be able to distribute our capsules to the more remote places in the world," Bulma smiled pleased with the outcome of the meeting, wandering over to her son's desk and placing the hefty pile of paperwork onto it beside his pile of work still to complete! "Sorry you couldn't sit through it Trunks. Keep up the good work!" She gave her son a small smile and rested her hand on the pile she'd just placed down on his desk, eyes quickly flicking over the current page her son was on.

"... Yeah..." Trunks muttered slightly vexed he had yet more work to do! He knew better than to vocalise his frustration especially with his mother in the room; she'd just remind him his sister managed to cope with her higher-demanding work and that she knew he was capable. Trunks wished he wasn't so capable in her eyes!

"Anyone want a coffee?" Hairiyu asked from the other end of the room as she began to set up the coffee machine.

"Shouldn't you be getting on with all the paperwork like your brother is?" Bulma responded sharply, passing a quick glance over to her lavender-haired son.

Hairiyu didn't respond except through a small sigh and nod of the head, leaving the room in a slouch minus her coffee. Trunks snorted to himself and shook his head in pity; he could complain as much as he wanted about his workload, he was just glad not to be in his sister's shoes! While Bulma knew her son was capable, Hairiyu was meant to be far more capable having had more experience and years under her belt working for the company! That laid-back attitude still hadn't fully left her system no matter how much her drive to succeed and dependability attempted to snuff it! He quietly chuckled to himself before eyes fell back onto the paperwork before him.

* * *

School was finally over for Pan. She'd told her parents where she'd be going afterwards so they wouldn't scold her for getting home late. The girl rushed around the streets of Satan City, making sure no one was following her before calling for her transport. She could have just as easily have flown but she'd recently acquired one of her family's 'heirlooms' and was eager to use it as much as possible! She'd been told that her grandfather, grandmother, father and uncle had all been able to ride the Kinto'un cloud and had been thrilled when she'd found out she was also capable of riding it! She recalled the moment well, remembering how fast her heart had been thumping as her father showed her the cloud and told her to jump onto it, knowing if she was unable to sit on it she wouldn't be able to ride it.

When Pan was certain the coast was clear, she put two hands to her mouth and drew in a deep breath:

"Kinto'un!"

The yellow cloud appeared in the distance, swooping down and stopping before her. Pan jumped onto the cloud and grinned, pleased she was still able to stand and sit upon it as if it were a cushion and not fall through it! It made for a very comfortable ride, its form as soft as it looked. "Head west Kinto'un! As fast as you can!"

At her instructions, Kinto'un sped off towards the descending sun, quickly picking up height as Satan City disappeared behind them. The wind whistled past Pan's ears as short, dark hair danced behind her as she travelled on the fast cloud through the reddening skies. The scenery below constantly changed as she raced over buildings, mountains, pasture and creeks until finally she skimmed the hem of West City and turned a little to the south and towards her destination. By now her journey had taken her almost two hours but she soon reached the western coast of the continent, slowing down until Shore City came into view. As they closed in Pan directed Kinto'un down to a height of two-thousand feet, grabbing her backpack and slinging it on readying herself for the landing. She rose to her feet and waited until she found a decent spot which thankfully did not take too long.

"Thanks Kinto'un; I'll see you later!" With that she jumped off the cloud, freefalling for a couple of metres before regaining her control, flying down towards the city on the coast. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the house she was heading for. The building was relatively big, sitting on the edge of town; a large plot of land used as part of its back garden. It was pretty easy to spot from the air due to its shape and gigantic patch of land behind it. She knew her friend lived in the richer part of the city mostly thanks to her mother's job and family business, though that did not mean her dad's job and family business was any less successful! Pan sometimes felt a little jealous of Chuka because of how lavish her home was and because of her city lifestyle, something Pan wished her parents had bestowed on her rather than the small modest house they lived in! She was the granddaughter of Mr Satan after all; shouldn't their home be a little copious at the very least?

Pan landed on the pavement at the end of the exclusive road and ran up to the door, ringing the bell. She hadn't seen anyone outside in the garden; that must have meant Chuka was inside the house somewhere. She waited patiently and eventually the door was answered, "Hello Mr Shirataki," Pan greeted with a smile.

"Pan, I didn't realise you'd be coming over!" Soba seemed surprised to see the girl as she walked past him. "Chuka's up in her room doing her homework."

"Are you getting ready for work?" Pan asked, noticing the apron and work-clothes Soba had on resembled those of the people who worked in his father's restaurant. Indeed Soba worked there as head-chef/ assistant manager, though currently it was almost a part-time role due to his hours! His father had stepped in and now shared the managerial role with his son, whilst another head-chef had been hired for the days Soba did not work.

"Yeah, I've gotta be going soon," Soba nodded at the girl's question, eager to get back to getting himself ready for his six-hour shift during the evening rush. "Hairiyu should be home any minute. If you need anything, Chuka's aunt will be here."

Pan bid the man a pleasant work-shift before she bounded up the stairs, bumping into Chuka's little brother Shio on the way. The five-year-old seemed stunned to see Pan. "Hello Shio!" She called, not giving him much chance to respond as she rushed past the boy and stopped outside Chuka's room. As gently as she could, Pan knocked on the door. "Chuka! Are you in?" She called at a reasonable but clear volume.

"It's open!" Chuka's muffled voice responded from the other side of the door.

Pan turned the knob and walked into the room, closing the door behind her as gently as she could, noticing what her friend was up to. Chuka was sat at her desk; pen in her hand, eyes glued to the paper before her, slowly reading over either something she'd written or her next question. "What cha doing?" Pan asked peering over her friend's shoulder curiously. "Homework?"

"Yeah, I have to do it now before I can do anything else," Chuka nodded not looking away from the page.

"Then I'll do mine too!" Pan smiled taking her backpack off and searching through her books. "... Hey, are you gonna be entering the Budokai?" She asked wanting to keep the conversation going. She was intrigued to see what her friend would say though she felt she knew what the answer would be.

"Yeah," Chuka nodded, more engrossed in her work than listening to her friend.

Pan's head shot to face Chuka's direction, a look of shock momentarily on her face before a smile took over. "Really? I was expecting a 'no' and to then have to get you to enter!" Pan replied happily. "Is Trunks gonna be in it?"

"No."

"Aww... Can't you convince him?" Pan pouted a little disappointed the lavender-haired man would not be entering. He would have made a decent opponent for either her or her uncle!

"No."

"... Poor uncle Goten... We managed to get him to enter! Now he'll be mad Trunks isn't gonna be in it with him..." Pan frowned feeling a little nervous. The only reason Goten had eventually given into her pleading was because she'd promised Trunks would also be entering! She knew as soon as he found out she'd be in trouble with him! There had to be another incentive to making him enter, she quickly continued asking more questions. "Is your grandpa Vegeta gonna be entering?"

"No."

"How about your mama?" Pan gulped.

"No."

"... So just you?" Pan sighed resigning herself to how cross her uncle would be with her.

"Yeah."

The monotonous voice and lack of eye contact was a clear indication but Pan felt she needed further confirmation. "... Want me to stop asking questions?" She smiled.

"Yes please." Chuka nodded still not daring to tear her eyes away from her homework!

Without another word Pan continued to look through her bag, eventually pulling out a book and opening it up to read.

* * *

Hairiyu closed the door behind her and sighed; another hard day's work finally finished.

"Welcome home!" A familiar voice came from the living room; Ramen popping her head around the corner and giving her sister-in-law a cheerful smile.

"Hi," Hairiyu couldn't help show her surprise; apparently Soba'd gone to work earlier than she'd expected! "How are you? I hope the kids haven't been any trouble."

"I'm doing well," Ramen responded as Hairiyu wandered into the living room and placed her bag down on the side of the sofa. "Soba called up saying he had to get into work earlier, something about one of the chefs calling in sick for the late afternoon shift."

"Sorry about the short notice," Hairiyu apologised, about to sit herself down before what sounded like a stampede of elephants were heard bounding down the stairs. Both women were sure they both had an inkling of who it was storming down the stairs.

"Mama!" Shio burst down the bottom of the stairs and came bounding into the room, running straight into his mother's arms. "You're back!" He cheered with a grin. "Daddy said you would be home earlier than normal and you are!"

"Hey, how's my little guy?" Hairiyu cooed, spinning her son around in the air. "Mama got off of work nice and early just like she promised! We'll have to remember to thank uncle Trunks for covering the rest of her work for the day! Did you have a good day with daddy and auntie Ramen?"

"Yeah, auntie Ramen got me a new toy! Daddy had to go to work early," Shio nodded with a smile. "Did you have a good day?"

"A busy day," Hairiyu replied. "Much too much work for one person to handle! Mama had a meeting with lots of important people with nana Bulma, it went very well and we got lots of great deals for the company! Is your sister home from school?"

"Yeah. Pan's come over too," Shio added as her mother put him back down.

"She came before Soba left," Ramen added.

"She did?" Hairiyu double-took worried this was now going to get her into trouble with Videl. The stubborn, suspicious girl she'd first met as a teenager at High School had fast become a strict mother especially since her second daughter had been born. Pan was quite a free-spirited child much like her grandfather Goku, something Hairiyu wasn't entirely sure was a good thing! She had a lot of moxie and was generally happy-go-lucky though her mother wasn't so thrilled with this at times. Hairiyu found it quite funny to see Videl having to deal with someone just as strong-willed and pushy as she'd been in her younger days! "... I'd better check if I'm cooking her food..." Hairiyu walked over to the phone give Videl or Gohan a call. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to get hold of either of them at home, it was often touch-and-go when trying to get in contact with an instructor at Mr Satan's dojo and a University researcher!

"What's for dinner, mama?" Shio asked following his mother across the room like a second shadow.

"I'm not sure Shio, I'll see what we've got in the fridge and we'll go from there." His mother answered placing her son to his feet and striding into the kitchen, Ramen quickly following her to assist in any way she could.

Shio glanced down at his stomach and rubbed it slightly as it growled at him. "Be quiet, it's not time yet," He growled back under his breath.

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs caught his attention; Chuka and Pan appeared from the hallway peering their heads around the doorway. "Is mama home?" Chuka asked.

"Yeah, she's in the kitchen," Shio nodded.

"Mama, me and Pan are gonna do a bit of sparring outside!" Chuka called.

"Hello Mrs Shirataki!" Pan added as the two girls headed into the back garden.

"Hold on!" Hairiyu was quick to stop them, "Pan, do your parents know you're here and am I cooking you dinner?"

"Yes and yes please!" Pan replied, rushing out the door with Chuka. The girls made their way to a safe spot in the large back garden not too close to the house, and began to stretch their muscles ready to do some sparring.

"We haven't sparred in a while," Pan grinned.

"You'll probably win again... You always do!" Chuka unsurprisingly didn't seem so enthusiastic about sparring but nevertheless she'd agreed to it. Pan did seem to have a way with making Chuka do what she wanted, not that Chuka really minded.

"You might win," Pan replied encouragingly, putting up her guard. "We've gotta practice for the fights in the Budokai! You didn't get a turn the last time we entered!"

"That's because your grandfather and that boy broke the ring," Chuka responded, secretly pleased she hadn't needed to fight in front of so many people and lost in front of so many people!

Pan's guard momentarily fell as thoughts of her grandfather returned. The grandfather she hadn't seen since that fateful day. "... Hey Chuka, do you think my grandpa might be there too?" She asked.

"Maybe," Chuka shrugged her shoulders doubting her answer. "Isn't he training that older boy?"

"Yeah but maybe they'll both enter the tournament," Pan suggested feeling hopeful but knowing she didn't fully believe her own words. "If they do show up then we need to be stronger than we are now! My grandpa is no pushover. Dad told me he saved the world loads of times against bad guys!"

"Yeah but that was ages ago," Chuka mumbled more to herself than Pan. "... How am I supposed to be able to beat that kind of power; I'm just a kid..."

"Get ready Chuka: I won't hold back!" Pan put up her guard once more, determined to get the sparring session started before Chuka lost so much faith in herself, she'd become no challenge or just resign herself to being attacked.

"Me neither," Chuka anxiously put up her defences, waiting for Pan to make the first move. She was already certain she knew who would win this scuffle and it wasn't going to be her!

Pan's movement was fast. In a flash she was launching a punch for Chuka's face. Chuka's reflexes kicked in; the girl ducking under Pan's incoming arm, her own fist launching skywards. Pan's reactions were just as quick, stepping back and evading, one leg swinging up to meet Chuka's other hand which took the kick instead of her chin. The hit caused Chuka to stumble back a little; Pan sprung up, hands cupped above her head, tossing a ki blast down at the unbalanced girl. Chuka screamed in a sudden burst of panic and slapped the ki blast away, knocking it to the ground.

"Pan, no ki blasts!" Chuka cried as Pan dived in to attack, both girls moving at incredible pace as they dodged, blocked and threw out blows.

"Sorry, I forgot!" Pan replied through the barrage of cracks and blows.

"Guys, no ki blasts near the house!" Hairiyu bellowed angrily through the window, calming down a little and watching the girls for a while as they sparred. A proud smile emerged on her face; her daughter fighting Pan reminded her of the times when Hairiyu and Gohan would spar to become stronger. It was nice to know that the next generation weren't a bunch of slackers as most of hers had turned out to be!

A light, awkward blush came to her face. That group of slackers included her!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 003 – Reunion at the Budokai**

Age 790, May 7th

The early morning sun had barely started to rise over the horizon when the large aircraft took off, rising high over the skyscrapers of West City. On board was a relatively large family; Hairiyu sat at the pilot's seat, her father sitting beside her; Soba, Chuka, Shio and Bra in the back. Both Bulma and Trunks had little choice but to stay behind to continue running Capsule Corp, much to Trunks' disappointment as he'd wanted to see the Budokai and possibly even participated, not that he'd been training recently! The only reason Hairiyu'd been able to get out of work was because her daughter Chuka was competing. _'I really should get some kids of my own if it'll give me a reason to avoid work!'_ Trunks noted dryly to himself. The force of the engines power meant the grass was taking a beating from the expelled wind, Trunks' tie flapping about and hitting him in the face!

"It's a shame mama decided she couldn't come," Hairiyu frowned, taking a small peek down at her mother and younger brother. She sent the craft forwards carefully through the maze of skyscrapers until finally they cleared the tallest of them. It was only then she jabbed at one of the switches which activated all three boosters rather than the two on either side of the craft, the bulky ship suddenly lunging forwards pushing everyone back in their seats!

"Well she has to help Trunks run Capsule Corp," Soba pointed out once he'd recovered from the gravitational pull. "At least _you_ managed to get the day off! It wouldn't be right for a mother not to be able to watch her daughter compete in the Budokai!" He looked down upon his daughter Chuka, who continued to stare out the window avoiding eye contact with anyone.

"Are we going straight there?" Bra asked, wiping the sleep from her eyes. She wasn't used to such early starts and seemed unusually quiet!

"No, we've gotta collect the others first," Hairiyu shook her head.

"I don't see why they don't just make their own way there!" Vegeta snorted, arms crossed and scowl ever-present on his face. He was not participating, so everyone was quite surprised he'd even agreed to come along and watch! When asked, Vegeta did not give a straight answer... or any answer real for that matter. He'd simply grunted and muttered he wanted to observe how the new generation of warriors was getting on, though everyone knew that was just a rouse. Perhaps deep down and despite his outward views, he was hoping his Saiyan rival would appear.

"Look, I offered to pick them up on the way and that's what we're gonna do," Hairiyu muttered crossly, the long bouts of early mornings and late nights grating on her nerves. "I'm gonna have to put her into full power if we're gonna make it; hold on and make sure your seatbelts are done up!" She began to adjust a few switches and pulled down on the main lever a little. The craft suddenly bolted forward once more at a much faster pace, gaining a couple of screams from both Bra and Chuka who were unprepared for the sudden surge in speed! Naturally once again everyone had been forced back into their seats, those who were lucky enough to have arm rests gripping tightly to them with white knuckles!

The craft vanished quickly into the horizon leaving Bulma and Trunks out on the balcony overlooking the external gardens of their home.

"Looks like she put it into full power," Bulma mused, impressed with her handiwork and design. "That aircraft really works wonders! We'll be able to put it into mass production soon!"

Trunks didn't share his mother's enthusiasm, too preoccupied with moping about. Bulma looked at her son when she realised he was not going to give a response, smiling in an attempt to suppress her amusement when she noticed the look on his face. "What are you sulking about? Don't tell me you'd have entered the Budokai?" She asked half-jokingly.

"... I'd rather face my chances in the ring against Buu than be stuck in the office all day..." Trunks sighed resigning himself to the day before him.

"Well you know your sister deserved to go in the end to see Chuka fight," Bulma replied. "I wanted to go and watch too but someone's gotta stay here and keep the company running I'm afraid. You'll get your chance soon Trunks, don't worry." With a steaming cup of coffee in hand, she left the balcony and headed down to her office, Trunks not too far behind. At the very least he knew he could listen into what was happening on the radio!

* * *

It took a couple of hours before the craft of people reached their first quick-stop destination. Slowly the ship – despite its size - descended in the large clearing between the woods and the stream running past the two homes, giving a final groan as it shuddered striking the ground. Waiting and enduring the strong gusts of the craft were the majority of the Son family, all gathered together in one large group waiting to board. The back hatch was quickly opened up for those waiting to board to enter the ship; thankfully they seemed to have more than enough seats to deal with the increase in passenger numbers.

"Thanks for the lift, Hairiyu," Gohan smiled as he and his family boarded the craft, Pan perching herself next to her mother and sister, peering straight out the window over Inari's head.

"No problem, we're all going to the same place," Hairiyu nodded. "Everyone on board?" She glanced over her shoulder to make sure everyone was present and seated; they seemed to be two people short from what she could see, Gohan confirming her suspicions:

"Just mother and Goten and we're clear to go," Gohan answered before the question could be asked. He glanced over his shoulder to see his brother and mother boarding the craft and seating themselves down. Goten was carrying a small bag over his shoulder which no doubt had his training gi; it seemed he really was going to compete though right now he didn't seem too happy with it, looking around the craft no doubt for Trunks.

The pilot was all too aware of the promise Pan had made in order to coerce Goten into participating. Hairiyu couldn't bear to tell him her little brother would not be competing.

"Alright, now all we've gotta do is pick up Krillin and the others and we're all set to go," She smiled trying to push the thought from her mind, revving up the engines. The craft shuddered once again as it slowly ascended back into the clouds and headed in a south direction towards the island where the rest of their party was waiting.

"...Hey, where's Trunks?" Goten asked as soon as he noticed the lavender-haired man was not present.

No one immediately answered him but eventually it was Soba who broke the silence. "At work," he answered, understanding the discomfort most of his family were having in answering that question. "Neither he nor Bulma could get out of working since Hairiyu's coming."

"Someone has to pilot this thing," Hairiyu grunted, turning to stare at her husband with a distained look on her face. "Do _you_ wanna fly this thing?"

"I wasn't having a dig at you," Soba replied baffled by his wife's aggressive tone of voice! The early mornings and late nights had been taking their toll on his wife for a while and it was of no surprise to see her shortness of temper seemed to emerge whenever she was doing longer-than-usual hours at work. He wanted to speak to her about it because he was concerned for her sleeping patterns, but now was not the time to voice those concerns. For now he would let her have the final word until they returned home at the end of the day, he hoped by then she would be more compliant to his concerns.

"Didn't someone tell me Trunks was going to be entering?" Goten gave a stern look towards Pan. The eleven-year-old hid her face away under her shoulder-length hair, a light blush of awkwardness crossing her cheeks. She had thought Trunks would have entered the tournament, she hadn't anticipated on him being needed at Capsule Corporation. She hadn't meant to mislead her uncle but she knew he wouldn't see it that way. As expected, after a brief rein of silence Goten tutted and crossed his arms, "Great! First I get pressured into entering and now I find out Trunks isn't going to be competing after all!"

It took another twenty minutes before the craft made its final pick-up, collecting those who lived on the small island in the middle of the ocean. Once its business was finished outside the small pink shack, the larger party headed over to Papaya Island, home of the Tenkaichi Budokai grounds.

"So no word from Goku?" Krillin asked as he settled himself down for the flight ahead.

"Goku? Who's that?!" Chichi spat annoyed, her temper unnerving the small man as it became obvious he'd hit a nerve. "I've never heard of him! Oh wait, is it that man who refuses to stay in contact with his family for years?!"

"She means no," Gohan answered sheepishly at his long-term friend, the man whom had almost been a surrogate uncle to him during his youth.

"Bummer... That guy's never been great at keeping in contact," Krillin moped, retreating a little so as not to aggravate Chichi any further.

"Where's Eighteen and Marron?" Videl asked noticing their absence. "Weren't they coming?"

"Nah, Marron wanted to spend the day shopping rather than watching people beat each other up as she put it," Krillin replied. "You know when there's clothes shopping to do, my wife will be there... heck, anything that involves money and she'll be there!" The absence of his daughter and wife didn't seem to displease him too much.

"That girl's really starting to become like her mother..." Master Roshi mused to himself stroking his beard, "... and in more ways than one!" The strange twinkle of light in his eyes may have been hidden by his glasses but the majority of those in the ship knew better than to take his words at face value.

"... With all due respect master, that's my daughter," Krillin growled venomously, far too familiar to his master's habits.

"Are we there yet mama?" Shio asked leaning onto the back of Hairiyu's seat.

"Not yet," Hairiyu shook her head.

"We'll be there soon," Soba patted his son on the head.

* * *

The saturated crowds were making it difficult to pass the many stalls selling food, games and merchandise and to the ring. As it had been since the twenty fifth Tenkaichi Budokai the entire atmosphere was intense and busy compared to the tournaments before, hoards of crowds attempting to bustle their way through to the arena or the many, many stands. It was almost like a festival atmosphere rather than a serious tournament. The wonderful aromas of different foods and beverages wafted along the breeze, the chatter of people attempting to squeeze by almost a monotone buzz that soon became white-noise to their ears.

"It's big!" Inari exclaimed, clinging tighter to Videl's neck as her mother carried her on her back. The three-year-old was nervous she would be pushed off her mother's back and lost to the sea of the crowds.

"It's possibly even busier than last time we were here!" Videl added astonished, flinching a little as her daughter's grasp tightened. "Inari, not so tight!"

"There's a lot of people here," Chuka gulped feeling a touch of stage-fright already, walking a little closer to her father as she tried to shuffle past a large group of taller boys a little older than herself. "I must be crazy agreeing to this..." She added quietly to herself hoping no one – particularly her mother – would hear.

"I swear these crowds just get worse and worse!" Krillin gawked, having trouble himself on getting past people. "I can't even see the stands from here!"

"That's because you're short like us," Pan grinned at the seasoned fighter, Krillin didn't seem to see the funny side of it willingly and instead pulled a sour face.

"Gohan, teach your kid a thing or two about respecting her elders!" He grumbled indignantly.

"Pan, don't pick on Krillin just because he's the shortest adult among us," Gohan smiled adding to his daughter's joke, earning a small giggle from his youngest daughter.

"...Chichi, teach your kid a thing or two about respecting his elders!"

"There's the stands," Goten smiled finally spotting the tall thick-walled seating area a little to their left.

"Let's go!" Pan beamed with excitement, about to rush forward but stopped in her tracks as Gohan caught onto her arm. Pan gave her father a look of confusion and eagerness but he kept hold of her.

"Remember to use as much or as little strength as necessary," Gohan instructed. "Don't kill the normal guys but remember to have fun out there. You'll do fine out there, I know you will. Just make sure you do what you need to do without overdoing it!"

"I know," Pan nodded. "I'll make sure I don't kill anyone."

"That's easier said than done when it comes to you, Pan!" Bra chortled.

"Hey, if I go up against uncle Goten, can I use all my power then?" Pan asked a little worried her father was about to say no. Fortunately Gohan seemed to lull it over before responding to his daughter:

"Only if it doesn't endanger the spectators or anyone else on the island, I know Goten – and Buu for that matter – will be tough opponents for you to beat."

"Not uncle Goten, he's a slacker!" Pan giggled jabbing at her uncle's lack of drive to train. Goten crossed his brow at her but stayed quiet. He didn't fancy the quip he'd get from his older brother – and he would get a response with the choice language he had for his niece!

"Beat uncle Goten, Pan!" Inari threw one small chubby fist into the air, almost falling off her mother's shoulders in the process!

"Remember we'll all be cheering you on," Videl smiled at her older daughter. "We'll be proud of you no matter what the outcome! If you end up against grandpa, remember to take it easy."

"Should I let Grandpa Satan win if I beat everyone else?" Pan asked.

Gohan pulled his daughter in closer so that eavesdropping humans could not hear his answer. "Go easy on him and either fake a knockout or fall out the ring at the right time. Remember, it's Grandpa Satan who's taking all the fame and fortune for us so we don't have to. You'll get your opportunity to be world champion when you're older, I promise. Ok?"

Pan gave her father a nod.

Nearby, Chuka was getting her own pep-talk from her family. Unlike Pan, she was growing very nervous about the whole thing. She didn't share the same enthusiasm for fighting Pan did and was sure if Pan hadn't been entering and had not have convinced her, she too would not have entered. Chuka cared too much about what her family and friends thought of her and so against her own wishes, she'd entered. Now the nerves had kicked into overdrive!

"Chuka, give it your all but just like Pan, no overdoing it with the normal human fighters," Hairiyu spoke, aware of the nerves her daughter was probably feeling. The fact her daughter did not share enthusiasm for sparring or training was no secret to her. What bothered her more than anything was how willing her daughter was to continue half-heartedly, she was a rather weak-willed child and it concerned Hairiyu.

"Stay loose and you'll be fine," Soba added, equally as aware of his daughter's view on sparring.

"I'll do my best," Chuka gulped nervously.

"Wait... Is it only Pan and Chuka fighting?" Master Roshi asked.

"No, uncle Goten's fighting," Pan pointed to her disheartened uncle who was talking to Chichi, "... and so is my Grandpa Satan and Mr Buu!"

"Vegeta's not entering?" Krillin asked slightly surprised glancing over at the Saiyan warrior.

"Why should I? It's a waste of my time unless there's going to be a challenge," Vegeta grumbled. "Not even the Namekian sees a challenge out of these fools."

"The Na... Piccolo?!" Hairiyu gasped realising her former mentor was indeed present. Piccolo stood underneath a palm tree close to an ice cream truck, minding his own business as always. Naturally the crowds passing him did seem a little alarmed and curious to see a green-skinned man amongst them; it was not a common occurrence after all!

"How long as Piccolo been there?" Chuka asked amazed, though she took one step away from the towering, intimidating Namekian fighter. He always looked so angry for some reason and it scared her a little!

"Are you gonna fight, Piccolo?" Gohan wandered up to his friend and former teacher, pleased to see he had made it.

"No," Piccolo replied, finally opening his eyes and looking at his long-time pupil. "I think it's about time I sat back and relaxed whilst watching the next generation show us what they can do."

"We'll try not to disappoint you," Pan beamed.

"_Attention all entrants of the Tenkaichi Budokai; the registration booth will be closing in ten minutes!"_ A voice rang over the speakers. _"Will all of those who have not yet registered, please make your way to the registration booth!"_

"That's us!" Chuka realised. "We'd better hurry!" Her thoughts were the complete opposite: _'I hope I miss registration!'_

"Then let's go," Gohan nodded leading them onwards as he'd spotted the registration booth was thankfully nearby. Soon all three contestants were signed up; Pan, Goten, and Chuka; Chuka gutted she'd made registering in time!

"Well we'd better get heading into the waiting area if we're gonna make it," Goten warned. "Come on you two, let's head over to where we need to be."

"Do your father proud and win, Goten," Chichi smiled as her son began to walk away from the rest of the group.

"Don't go too rough on the others," Gohan added.

"Chuka, remember what we told you!" Hairiyu called.

"Pan, be sensible out there!" Videl cried.

"Bye mama and papa! Make sure to get good seats!" Pan waved as she followed her uncle and best friend through the gates.

"Good luck!" Krillin cheered.

The group watched as the three vanished into the crowds heading for the waiting areas.

"... We'd better get a move on if we wanna get good seats," Soba warned. "You remember what happened the last time we came here!"

"Good idea," Krillin nodded. "I refuse to be seated on the edge of the ring as if I'm some sort of sideshow!"

"That was stupid!" Bra grimaced at the memory, "No wonder mama was angry. I'd like to forget that face if I can."

"Don't we all," Hairiyu groaned. "Videl, promise us your dad will never send us there again!"

"It's my dad, I can't make any promises on his behalf," Videl sighed embarrassed, pressing one hand to her forehead.

* * *

The waiting area was sealed off from the stands and the main crowds. Ten meter walls and long buildings sheltered the waiting contestants, many of whom were stretching their muscles anticipating the initial task which would decide who would advance to the actual matches. Amongst them was Goten alongside his niece and her best friend.

"There's a lot of people here..." Chuka wearily stuck closer to Goten, nerves rising inside the young girl. It had been slowly creeping up on her all morning but finally being here amongst all the strong contestants just brought it home and now she felt absolutely terrified!

"Yeah," Pan nodded not sharing the same magnitude of anxiety as her friend though she too was starting to get a little antsy. She took a good look around at the other competitors just in case her grandfather or Buu was present, not able to spot either of them amongst the sea of taller people. "... I don't recognise any of them. Do you, uncle Goten?"

"Why would I?" Goten asked, taking a good look around at the other contestants.

"_This is the last call! Will all registered contestants please make their way into the waiting area!"_ The voice over the p.a. system ordered.

"We'd better move in more; there could be a few more people coming into this small space," Goten ushered the two girls further towards the centre of the waiting area. As they walked he could feel a number of eyes falling onto them; many of whom were probably recognising the dark-haired niece of his. She was the granddaughter of the current World Champion after all and although she led a sheltered life living in the mountains of East District, she was still an easily recognisable child to many of the Champion's fans.

"...Is that...?"

"I think it is. The granddaughter of Mr Satan!"

"I didn't know she was entering!"

Pan smiled embarrassed, hearing the conversations between the towering muscular men around her. It always made her feel uncomfortable whenever people would recognise her, though another part of her was pleased they knew who she was and what to expect from her. Her fight in the Twenty-eighth Tenkaichi Budokai had certainly helped her build a reputation.

"Alright competitors, may I have your attention please?" A blonde haired man with a balding spot walked out into the centre of the crowds; Goten instantly recognising him as the announcer of many of the past tournaments. He'd aged a lot more since the last time he'd seen him, unsurprisingly. However Goten was surprised to see he was still working here!

"Welcome to the thirtieth Tenkaichi Budokai," The man greeted whilst speaking down the microphone he held. "As usual the tournament holds sixteen spots. The rules are the same as the last tournament in which sixteen competitors will fight it out to determine the champion of you all. This champion will then enter the final match against the reigning world champion, Mr Satan! If you fall out of the ring, stay down for ten counts, lose consciousness, or surrender, you will lose the match and the winner will progress to the next round.

"This year we have one-hundred-and-thirty-five entrants and only sixteen spots to fill! We will determine the lot allocations through preliminary bouts! There will be four groups of thirty-four fighters who will take it in turns to fight another opponent. The four winners of each group will advance and claim a spot in the top sixteen."

"Uncle, I can see Buu!" Pan whispered loud enough for Goten to hear, spotting the bulky pink Majin over the far side of the crowd. Goten shushed his niece but gave an nod of acknowledgement.

"... form a line, come up and choose a slip. On said slip will be a number; this will allocate what number you are for the preliminary bouts and what group you are in!" The announcer finished explaining the instructions.

"Geez, one-hundred-and-thirty-five people's names to hear," Goten groaned. "We could be here for a while!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 004 - Round One**

The waiting was painful and the line was slow to move. One by one, fighters were called forward to collect a slip which would determine what number they were for the preliminaries and which group they would be fighting in. Goten kept an eye and ear out for the two girls who were too engrossed in their conversation to notice the line moving! Eventually they reached the front, although Chuka failed to notice it was her turn!

"Um... next?" The announcer repeated.

"Chuka, they're calling you," Goten butted in.

Chuka flushed a light shade of pink and rushed over to the announcer and official. _'That's embarrassing...'_ She groaned to herself wishing she'd been paying more attention to her surroundings. The walk up to the two officials seemed incredibly long and for those few brief seconds Chuka felt like more than one thousand eyes had been watching her, "Sorry, I didn't hear you," she apologised as she reached the two men.

"Pick out a number from the box," The official instructed.

Chuka reached into the box, feeling the light touch of dozens of small pieces of paper. She grabbed onto at least three, fondling about until she was certain one was still in her grasp. Taking her hand out, she gulped as she unfolded the piece of paper. "... Ninety," She read.

"Remember that number," The announcer smiled.

Chuka quickly rushed back over to Goten and Pan, face reddened further around her cheeks as she felt several eyes watching her. It was intimidating!

"Yay you know your number!" Pan grinned. "My turn!"

"Good luck," Chuka whispered as Pan skipped up to the official, reaching into the box. She soon pulled out her own paper and unfolded it.

"Twenty-three!"

Goten was next. He walked forward as his niece joined her friend, reaching in and pulling a slip out, his voice too muffled for the girls to hear what he was saying.

"What number did you get, Uncle?" Pan asked as the adult walked back to join them.

"Four," Goten answered.

"Aww no! That means we're in the same group!" Pan gasped.

"Don't worry; the way the matches of the preliminaries are lined up means we won't end up fighting each other," Goten smiled. "Each group of thirty-four will have four winners."

"... But... four doesn't go into thirty-four..." Chuka mumbled baffled. "How is that fair?"

"That's just the way it turns out," Goten scratched his head impressed with the child's quick arithmetic skills. _'How did she work that out so fast?'_

"Also, there were one-hundred-and-thirty-five competitors but if there are only sixteen spots. That means some of the groups are uneven. Thirty four goes into one-hundred-and-thirty-six four times; we have an extra person!" Chuka realised. "That means a couple of people won't have to do as many matches as other people! That's cheating! It sounds horribly overcomplicated!"

"Look, that's just how it works! Don't ask me, I didn't invent the rules!" Goten cried. "... Why do you know so much about adding at your age?"

"Papa and mama teach me and so does Auntie Ramen and Grandpa Udon," Chuka smiled. "They say I need to be good at maths if I'm gonna be a cashier!"

"A... cashier?" Goten sighed wearily. Of course; the Shirataki family business would rely on fast maths and apparently they'd already sorted out Chuka's future job!

"Mama and Nana Bulma say it's good for making mechanical things," Chuka added frowning a little afterwards. "I'm really good at maths in school but everyone makes fun of me for it..."

* * *

The preliminaries went off without any issue. Naturally Goten, Pan, and Chuka passed with flying colours, not to mention unnerving those who watched their bouts!

"Alright, the final sixteen slots have been decided!" The announcer cried. "Could the four winners of each group please follow me and I will show you back to the waiting room!"

"We made it!" Pan cheered, jumping up and down happily.

"That wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," Chuka sheepishly mumbled, a light smile on her face.

"Come on you two, we need to follow them," Goten hissed, a little tired of their endless bounds of energy; he felt mentally drained just having to keep an eye on them!

The remainder of the group was now a lot smaller; Goten glancing at their opponents as they wandered back into the waiting room. As assumed, Buu was amongst them. The former Majin monster smiled and waved at them.

"Hi Buu!" Pan waved, running up to greet the large Majin. "Where's Grandpa Satan?"

"Mr Satan is resting in his room," Buu smiled down at the small girl. "Buu wasn't expecting to see miss Pan here!"

"It's not just me Buu; Uncle Goten and Chuka are here too," Pan pointed over to her uncle and Chuka who were following up behind her.

"Hi Buu," Goten greeted him nervously, he couldn't help feel a little disappointed to find out he'd possibly end up against Buu again!

"Alright, when I call your name, please step forward and draw a ball from the box." The blonde-haired announcer had appeared once again. "Each ball is labelled with a number; the number you have written on your ball will determine your slot number and which match you will be placed in. First up is Apprentice."

"That's a weird name," Chuka mumbled to herself more than anyone else.

A cloaked fighter wandered up to the officials. He – or she - was shorter than Goten but not by much and didn't seem out of the ordinary.

"You gonna be able to see your opponents wearing that?" The announcer asked half-heartedly with a chuckle.

"I won't be wearing it in the matches," The voice belonged to a man, confirmed even more by the masculine build. He was young, Goten not sure if he was a teenager or fully grown. The demi Saiyan watched curiously as the man pulled a ball from the box. Now that he focused more on him, there seemed to be something peculiar about him though Goten couldn't put his finger on it.

"Wow, the first contestant to be called up has ironically picked number one!" The announcer chuckled as he was shown the ball; Apprentice walking back to the side away from the others. "Next up is Oojin!"

"... There's something odd about that guy," Goten mumbled, eyes still fixated on Apprentice as he returned to the corner of the small square. He couldn't tell through the hood but he was sure he recognised something about the man.

"His name is funny," Chuka agreed.

"No, that's not it," Goten shook his head.

"Oojin has picked number sixteen. Next up is Kirajin!" The announcer called.

"Buu sense something funny about him," Buu nodded in agreement keeping his eyes on the young masked fighter. "Buu not recognise him."

"No, neither do I but he's covering his face," Goten replied quietly. "I don't have a good feeling about this."

* * *

Not too far from where the final sixteen were awaiting their fate, the others had finally found their seats. They'd managed to sit themselves in the stand to the right of the main entrance where all the fighters would be waiting though they couldn't see into the waiting room due to the large board at the front. They had a decent view due to how high up the stands they were so hopefully this meant they would not be missing anything vital during the matches!

"I thought we'd never make it through those crowds!" Chichi grumbled. "How difficult is it for people to move when you ask them politely?!"

"... Gohan... I think your mum's still a little upset over your father," Videl whispered to her husband. "I haven't seen her like this in a while."

"She'll be ok," Gohan responded quietly. "We'll keep an eye on her."

"This should be a good spot to see the matches," Piccolo muttered, arms folded as he sat down unintentionally causing issues for the person behind due to his height!

"I hope they start soon," Hairiyu frowned nervously. "I wanna make sure Chuka's alright."

"Chuka will be fine, mama," Shio smiled. "Chuka's strong!"

'_She's strong but she has no confidence,'_ Hairiyu mumbled in her head, not choosing to air her thoughts. Her daughter was strong for someone her age but compared to Pan she lacked belief and magnitude of power. Pan was serious when it came to training where as Chuka only trained if someone made her.

"I wonder if they chose to use the punch machine again or if they used something else to determine the slots?" Krillin mused. "Man I sure do miss when they'd have the preliminary matches! That punch machine just wasn't the same."

"I'm not sure what would have been better," Gohan mused. "At least with the punch machine the kids and Goten wouldn't have to expend much energy; fighting other people will surely cause a stir in the other competitors."

* * *

"Next up to choose is Son Goten," The announcer called. Goten wandered up to the official, surprised when the announcer started to talk to him. "It's good to see you competing again, Goten. Did your father decide not to compete this year?" The elderly man asked off-microphone.

"I'm not sure," Goten replied, eyes quickly darting over to the mysterious cloaked fighter called Apprentice, "He's been on a training trip so he hasn't been home recently."

"Not at home, huh? Well he was a strange one," The announcer frowned.

"Don't worry; there will be some fights similar to those dad used to give the fans," Goten smiled. "There's only a small group of us but rest assured we'll give it our all."

"Sounds like a treat, although please try to refrain from destroying the ring," The announcer chuckled.

Finally Goten settled on one of the unknown balls still left in the box and pulled it free. "Number nine," Goten smiled, showing the ball to the officials to confirm it.

"Goten has picked number nine," The announcer spoke down the microphone, glancing down on the list of names. "...Son Pan, please come up to choose a slot."

"See you in a minute Uncle Goten," Pan smiled as she passed her uncle; Goten returning to Chuka. Both watched eagerly as Pan pulled one small sphere from the box and showed it to the two gentlemen.

"Mr Satan's granddaughter has picked slot number five putting her in match three against Knock!" The announcer declared.

"Knock?" Goten repeated as he glanced around and quickly recognised the familiar name – the guy who'd ended up facing Vegeta in the Budokai before the last. He hadn't even made it to the matches after taunting the prince because Vegeta'd planted his fist into the rowdy fighter's face! Indeed it was the same man and he did not look pleased to know his opponent was none other than Mr Satan's granddaughter! Perhaps he recalled the granddaughter being in the same group of people as Vegeta? Not that it really mattered; he'd seen Pan's fight against Mo Kekko no doubt!

The announcer called up a couple more people before it was finally Chuka's turn.

Chuka wandered up to the men nervously, her heart racing inside her ribcage. Now was the moment of truth; who would she get? There were still a couple of matches with no contestants' names in and all the men surrounding her did seem intimidating. She knew she could probably beat most of them but it didn't make the situation any easier! She reached into the box and hoped for the best, pulling a ball out and looking down.

"... Chuka has picked fifteen!" The announcer smiled, taking the ball from the quiet girl.

Chuka glanced over to the board as she walked back to Goten and Pan, eyes widening and quickly averting down to the ground when she realised she already had an opponent! Oojin was a tall, tall man, at least three times the size of Chuka. She knew size didn't mean everything (especially since she'd seen Pan as a young child effortlessly beat the towering Mo Kekko) but couldn't she have ended up with someone more average-sized?

"Now all we have to wait for is Buu and all of us have our matches sorted," Pan smiled, quickly noticing the pale colour on Chuka's face. "You ok Chuka?"

"No... I'm nervous," Chuka shook her head. "I shouldn't have entered this tournament."

"Hey, it's alright; you can beat him no sweat," Pan encouraged, "You're being silly!"

"I-It's not that," Chuka butted in, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "... There are a lot of people who are gonna be watching... It's scary!"

* * *

The crowds were waiting for the matches to be decided, the chatter sounding like a swarm of bees.

"How much longer is this gonna take?" Chichi sighed. "I wanna know who Pan's gonna fight."

"I'm sure it won't be long now," Master Roshi replied.

"Look, it's a man!" Inari pointed down to the ring. The aging announcer had just made his way through the waiting room entrance to the arena stage, microphone drawn to his lips. The crowds had spotted him and slowly a louder uproar of anticipation filled the stadium.

"We should find out the match line-up now," Gohan smiled. "How many years has he been commentating on these matches now?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your patience and welcome to the thirtieth Tenkaichi Budokai!" The announcer riled up the crowds. "We've got an exciting line-up for you! Sixteen contestants have made their way through the preliminary matches and are now sorted into their match-ups! For those who cannot read the board, I shall read the line-up out for you! Match one sees Apprentice take on Kirajin; match two..."

"Look, Pan's name's up in slot five!" Hairiyu pointed to the board.

"How can you read that from so far away?" Videl asked astounded.

"That's Saiyan genes for you," Krillin chuckled at the woman's shock. "They all seem to have eyes as sharp as a hawk!"

"She's in the third match," Gohan nodded, almost choking on a laugh when he read her opponent's name, "She's against a guy called Knock! You don't suppose...?"

"That could be the same guy Dad knocked out in the last tournament," Hairiyu cottoned onto what Gohan was getting at, quickly passing a glance over to her father. He didn't seem to be able to hide the smirk on his face.

"Is that the man Papa knocked out before the matches started?" Bra smirked. "Now that was funny! Papa just walloped him clean in the face!"

"The fool decided to enter again? Idiot!" Vegeta snorted. "... He won't be a threat."

"Poor guy knows Pan's strength from the last time she entered the tournament," Krillin added pitying the fighter. "He's out!"

"Mama, where's Chuka?" Shio asked changing the subject, eager to see where his sister was placed on the board.

"... Match eight... she's in the last match of the first round," Hairiyu mumbled with a concerned look on her face. "That's not good... not good at all..."

"Last match?" Soba repeated sharing his wife's worries. Both knew what their daughter would be doing. "... She's gonna be spending all that time feeling nervous, you know that."

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded apprehensive. "Maybe I ought to go chat to her."

"I don't think the officials will let you go down there," Videl warned. "They've really tightened up security since the last tournament when a spectator broke into the waiting room."

"Goten's in match five," Gohan noted still keeping his eyes on the board as they'd been talking over the announcer, so had missed who was where. "Buu's in match six... Goten's gonna have the fight of his life if both he and Buu make it through their matches!"

"You don't think Buu will turn my baby into chocolate or candy, do you?" Chichi asked terrified.

* * *

As all the matches had now been allocated, the contestants were led into the waiting room by an official as the announcer read out the match line-ups and went through the rules of the tournament. Goten still had his eye out on Apprentice. There was something about him which seemed familiar but he couldn't put his finger on it. The man seemed a little shorter than Goten was and sounded a little younger, possibly in his teens. What was with the cloak and secrecy? Surely Apprentice wasn't his real name? That would be absurd! Why did he even bug Goten in the first place?

Out in the actual arena, the announcer was still entertaining the large crowds. "Alright then, before we get this tournament officially started, we have a special treat for you all! We are proud to announce an appearance from the reigning champion of the tournament: the one, the only – Mr Satan!"

There was a deafening roar of excitement from the crowds as on cue a helicopter flew low over the arena; one side door opening as a ladder was tossed down, reaching the arena floor. Despite the ladder being present, Mr Satan chose to jump the drop! The crowds were in suspense for what felt like an eternity as Mr Satan fell through the air, seemingly in complete control...

With a heavy thud he landed on both feet. Shockwaves ringed painfully through his lower limbs, the champ suddenly finding himself struggling to suppress a yelp. Any other human would have broken their ankles and probably their legs, yet miraculously the Champ was certain he hadn't done either of these!

"Will you look at that ladies and gentlemen?!" The announcer cried enthusiastically down the microphone. "Mr Satan emerges and jumps the fifty feet drop to the ground and he's landed safely on both feet!" He rushed up onto the stage and pressed the microphone to the distressed man. "Does it hurt, Champ?"

"N-No... Not at all," Mr Satan grunted through gritted teeth. "You're forgetting I am the World Champion Mr Satan!"

The crowds cheered and chanted "Satan" as the champion waved at his fans and riled them up.

"I hope your dad's not gonna need surgery, Videl," Krillin gawked in disbelief. "He really knows how to milk the crowds though! You've gotta admire him for that!"

"It's embarrassing," Videl groaned hiding her face in the palm of her hand.

"So Mr Satan, word is that this year, not only is your apprentice Mr Buu competing but so is your granddaughter Pan," The announcer continued over the speaker system. "What are your predictions for these two fantastic fighters? Care to give us an indication of what to expect from the two of them?"

"Well naturally with Pan being my granddaughter, whoever comes up against her will find themselves begging for mercy or giving up!" Mr Satan replied with a toothy grin. "As for my protégé Mr Buu, he'll be packing a serious punch as always! He is of course my number one student! Truth be told, only I can beat him!"

"With Pan's matches being scheduled in the first half and Mr Buu's matches being held in the latter half of the rounds, surely both contestants will end up fighting each other in the finals." The announcer continued. "If this is the case, who do you think would come out on top?"

"Hmm..." Mr Satan pondered. "... It's hard to say, even for an experienced fighter such as myself. Both show such promise, it would be wrong for me to comment."

"Idiot," Vegeta muttered to himself. "Buu would win no contest."

"Glad to see you have so much faith in our daughter's abilities," Videl grunted annoyed.

"No... I hate to say it but Buu would probably win," Gohan sheepishly mumbled. "Our daughter's strong but not strong enough to beat Buu, unless she really got lucky and managed to get a ring-out."

"Alright, we'll let you go and get ready for the tournament, Champ. Thank you very much for your time!" The announcer smiled.

"No problem... and to all you competitors entering the tournament today, I have a message for you," Mr Satan grabbed the microphone. "Remember a true martial artist knows their limits but also has the desire and will to never give up! I'm sure I'll enjoy watching what you all have to offer! Good luck to you all and I'll see the winner in the ring!" With that he handed the microphone back and painfully walked off stage through another exit, feet still searing with shockwaves from his landing!

"Well ladies and gentlemen, without further ado let the final matches of the thirtieth Tenkaichi Budokai begin!" The announcer declared.

Mr Satan made it back to his room with little difficulty; security had been stepped up this year because of an incident from the last Budokai when a spectator had broken into the waiting room to get his autograph! He closed the door and wandered over to his chair, grabbing a cigar along the way. His room was as lavish as always although he'd bought a couple of his own personal items along the way, including a small picture resting on the coffee table of himself, his daughter, Buu and their dog Bay whom Buu and Mr Satan had healed when they'd first met. Buu had been devastated when the dog had passed away, as had Mr Satan.

Passing the large box Mr Satan switched the television on; he'd be able to watch the matches from the TV broadcasts being done this year. Word had it that Mr Satan would be retiring soon so the press had wanted to record his potentially final matches in the Budokai. Whilst the rumours weren't entirely false, Mr Satan had requested not to be disturbed by any of the media regarding these rumours. It was a thought that wasn't too far from his mind and his aging body was the main source of everyone's concerns.

"Uh... Mr Satan sir?" A voice came from the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" Mr Satan asked gruffly.

"I'm one of the officials sir, I have the line-up of the matches for you in case you were interested?"

"Come in."

The door opened and a weedy-looking man wandered in wearing the officials' uniform that every member of staff seemed to be wearing. He handed the champion a sheet of paper which had the match line-up. "Is there anything else you would like sir?" The man asked.

"No thank you, I'd just like to watch the matches alone," Mr Satan shooed the man off; the official bowing before leaving the room and carefully closing the door behind him.

Mr Satan studied the sheet carefully. He recognised a couple of the fighters from the previous Budokai, taking note in particular where Pan and Buu were on the list. He breathed a small sigh of relief; the only chance of Pan and Buu meeting would be in the final match. He wasn't entirely sure on his predictions but Mr Satan was sure Buu would be able to beat his granddaughter; at least this way she had a fighting chance. She was his angel after all; he didn't want her to get hurt and the family had a reputation to keep. At least if Buu defeated her, she could then be avenged and Mr Satan could explain that his granddaughter was powerful but still had a long way to go!

"Hey there."

Mr Satan jumped out of his skin and whirled around about to yell at the intruder who'd disturbed his thoughts; the familiar face took him by surprise and he calmed himself.

"G-Goku?!" He gasped with bewilderment.

"Hi, sorry if I scared you," Goku apologised with his usual grin. The man stood before Mr Satan, window wide open behind him. Apparently that had been how he'd managed to get into the room... or he'd teleported with Instant Transmission! Satan wasn't sure.

"What are you doing here?" Mr Satan asked. "Do your family know you're here? Do you want me to get them?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Goku shook his head before the champion could get close enough to the door. "To be honest I'm here to watch the matches from a safe distance. I couldn't find a place with signal to watch from a TV and this way I can avoid Chichi yelling at me! I don't want the others to know I'm here so I couldn't watch from the crowds. It ok if I watch from here, Champ?"

"Oh... I think I see..." Mr Satan mumbled, mouth widening to a smile. "Well, sit wherever you want I guess!"

"Thanks," Goku perched himself down on one of the many cushy seats and grinned. "Wow, these things are pretty comfy! They really don't waste any expense in here, do they? So, anyone interesting in the line-up?"

"Well Pan's entered this year and so has your son Goten, as well as Hairiyu's daughter Chuka. Buu's entered too," Mr Satan explained. "Other than that, it's the usual riff-raff."

"I see... Well there may be another competitor out there who's more than capable of making it to the finals," Goku smiled with eager anticipation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 005 – The Complicated Mind of a Woman**

"Let's start the first match of the tournament!" The announcer cried amidst the crowds cheers. "Could Apprentice and Kirajin please make their way onto the stage!"

"It's starting, Mama," Inari smiled with anticipation. "When's Pan gonna fight?"

"Not until the third match," Chichi answered her younger granddaughter.

"That's the match after the match after this one," Videl added with a smile beaming down at her daughter, who seemed to be swapping between her parent's laps.

In the waiting room hidden from the audience's view, Goten watched cautiously as Apprentice and Kirajin left the room and headed out into the sun and crowds. He wandered a little ways towards the entrance to the arena, leaning against the wall keeping his eyes firmly on the boy who still hadn't removed his cloak.

"What's wrong?" Pan asked approaching her uncle curiously. Her own keen eyes had been set on her uncle and she'd noticed the attention he was giving Apprentice. "You keep staring at him."

"I'm interested in this guy's abilities," Goten answered, eyes forever fixated on the cloaked man. "I have a feeling I may know who he is."

"Who, Apprentice?" Chuka blinked unsure, looking at the fighter as he made his way onto the stage and into position.

"Yeah... Keep a watch on him." Goten nodded.

"This is both competitors' first times in the Budokai," The announcer spoke as both contestants got into position. "Not much is known about either fighter so keep your eyes peeled on this match!"

The drum roll started, slow at first and gradually picking up pace. Then suddenly the sound of the gong reverberated around the arena signalling the start of the match.

Kirajin rushed out closing the gap between him and Apprentice, drawing his fist back and lashing out. Apprentice (still cloaked and making no attempt to remove it either) sidestepped the man and gently karate-chopped his opponent on the back of his head. After a couple of seconds, Kirajin fell forwards onto his front with a heavy thud. He did not rise.

"Kirajin's down!" The announcer cried. "One... two... three..."

"That Apprentice guy's not bad!" Videl mumbled, eyebrows arched upwards. The crowds around the group started quietly murmuring to themselves trying to understand what was going on. Most of those within the spectator group had the advantage of sensing ki fluctuations.

"That man fell down..." Shio pointed looking to his father in approval, Soba nodding in acknowledgement. Unlike his son, Shio had no idea of the minute but powerful change in Apprentice's ki at the moment of impact.

"There's something about him," Master Roshi muttered, a serious look on his face. "Apprentice seems to have a far greater power behind him."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Krillin nodded in agreement. "I felt the small surge in his ki the moment he struck his opponent. That chop was well restrained but had enough power to get the job done, which incidentally wasn't much to begin with! There's more to this guy than meets the eye."

Piccolo and Vegeta wordlessly exchanged glances, both certain about the boy's identity.

"Eight... nine... ten! Kirajin has been down for ten counts and appears to be unconscious!" The announcer rushed onto the stage and prodded the competitor; no response. "Y-Yes, Kirajin is out cold! Apprentice is the winner!"

The crowds did not cheer; none had expected the match to be determined by one strike and some felt a little disappointed the match had finished so fast. Instead there was a calm and understated muttering amongst them. Apprentice did not seem too bothered by their lack of approval as he strode back into the waiting room, passing Goten and the girls without much of a thought and sitting himself down in the corner of the room.

"... He's mysterious," Chuka mumbled. One hit had floored that tough-looking fighter; it left an unnerving feeling inside of her. At least she wouldn't have to fight him; she'd lose before she'd ever find herself fighting him.

"He's got a decent grip on ki control," Goten agreed. "I could sense it; he was really holding back on that one hit so as not to break that man's neck. It's gotta be him."

"Him? Who's him?" Pan asked perplexed. To her annoyance Goten did not reply, merely smiling and tapping his nose. "Don't say it if you're not going to tell us!" She pouted.

"Right, now that Kirajin has been removed from the arena, let's get the second match underway!" The announcer's voice rang over their conversation. "Contestants Mighty Man and Sho, please enter the ring!"

Another masked man wandered past; his orange mask and cape noticeable against his tight-looking white undersuit, muscles clearly crafted underneath. As soon as he stepped out into the arena there were dozens upon dozens of wolf whistles from many suitors! His opponent seemed indifferent to the attention his opponent was getting. He was a relatively stocky man with thick arms and legs, in a way he reminded Chuka a little of a sumo wrestler except with a different outfit! As both men walked onto stage, the announcer spoke about each fighter's past appearances. The drum roll started and the gong sounded.

Goten wasn't particularly bothered in watching the two fighters in their match; he still felt far more concerned about Apprentice and the secrecy behind him. Without a word he began to approach the cloaked fighter. Apprentice noticed this and stood onto his feet.

"... Hey, where's Uncle Goten?" Pan noticed Goten wasn't with them, glancing to watch but wanting to watch the match too. She spotted him in the corner of her eye; it was enough to drag her attention away from the match and she watched as her uncle stood over the mysterious masked fighter. She had to admit she was a little surprised to see he seemed to have control over his ki and was curious herself to find out who he was. The fact that Goten seemed to know but wasn't giving it away frustrated her.

Apprentice suddenly rose to his feet almost level with the half-Saiyan half-Human fighter. Both stood quietly for a small moment. There was not a smile on Goten's face, instead a solemn expression much like the one his father would wear in tense situations. It was a face Apprentice recognised almost instantly, although this was unknown to Goten. Despite now having a much closer look and being able to see inside the cloak, Goten could see there was a balaclava over the boy's face. Apparently this boy had taken more precautions than Goten had given him credit for; he was definitely trying to hide his identity.

"Is there something wrong?" Apprentice asked after a while, no sense of malice or discomfort in his voice.

"That chop you dealt..." Goten responded, "...It wasn't any ordinary attack. You're no ordinary fighter: that much is clear. You can control your ki; not a lot of fighters I've ever known to participate in this tournament have ever been able to do that, none except for my family and friends. Who are you, really?"

"... You'll find out soon enough," Apprentice replied. "For now I am Apprentice. There's little doubt I'll be fighting with your niece in the third round, Son Goten. Maybe she'll be able to give you another hint, unless you think you may already know who I am."

"How does he know I'm my Uncle's niece?" Pan asked startled; she'd been eavesdropping on the conversation and had unintentionally made that known to the two!

"You keep calling him Uncle," Chuka droned, she was far more interested in watching the second match than pay much attention to the tense situation.

"...I have my suspicions," Goten answered.

"Hey guys don't start in here," A female competitor wandered up to the two, sensing the tension between them and mistaking it for aggression. "Save the fighting for the ring."

"Don't worry, we weren't gonna start anything in here," Goten turned, almost double-taking when he realised how cute the woman looked. A sheepish smile appeared on his face. "Sorry if we gave you the wrong impression!"

"Dummy, you're my opponent in the first round," The woman pointed at Goten, an angry look on her face accompanied by a firm tone. "I don't want to win because my opponent was disqualified before the match even started!" Her strikingly fiery, curly hair flicked around as she spun on her heels and walked away from the two.

"Looks like you'll have to wait," Apprentice chuckled with amusement. "Your first opponent seems to think you're more hot blooded than you really are. If we fight against each other in the finals, I'll tell you who I am."

"You're on," Goten agreed. With that he returned to his niece and her friend, screaming inside his head when he realised in order to fight Apprentice in the finals, he'd have to beat Buu! _'Dammit! That's never going to happen!'_

Apprentice smiled to himself.

"Will you look at this!" The announcer cried loudly. "Sho has ripped through Mighty Man's costume which appears to be pumped with air!"

"Hey... Those aren't his muscles!" One lady from the crowds gasped angrily. "You faker!"

"What's with the air suit?" A man asked. "Isn't that against the rules?"

Sho lifted Mighty Man clean off his feet and tossed him; the now-known-to-be scrawny man crashed onto the grass, suit deflating all the while.

"Mighty Man has fallen out-of-bounds – Sho is the winner!"

Many women in the crowds hissed as Mighty Man was taken away on a stretcher, knocked out from the impact of the landing; some shouting ferociously feeling somewhat betrayed that this attractive man wasn't what he claimed to be!

"This just gets more and more interesting," Krillin mused, folding his arms. "First the mysterious kid and now the guy with the fake body-suit! The Budokai's really attracted some weirdoes this time!"

"Mama it's Pan's match!" Shio tugged at his mother's shirt. "Pan's gonna fight!"

"Yay! Go Pan!" Inari perked up, attempting to stand up on her father's lap (she'd gone back and forth between her parent's lap on several occasions by now) but failing as Gohan kept her firmly sitting down rather than having her stand on him!

"Pan's up next, Papa," Bra smiled at her father swinging her legs back and forth on her seat. "She'll win for sure!" She did not get a response from the man but that was expected; she'd grown used to her father saying as little as possible.

"Ok, now we have a match-up I'm sure you've all been waiting for!" The announcer smiled anticipating the crowd's reaction. "Please welcome onto stage our two competitors of match three: Son Pan vs. Knock!"

The crowds went wild at the mention of Mr Satan's granddaughter's name.

"Noisy!" Inari yelled, covering her ears in annoyance and distress as the people around them all rose in their seats to get a better view of Pan walking out onto the arena. Gohan joined them and stood, holding Inari above his head and swinging her onto his shoulders so she too could see. "Thank you, Papa!" Inari smiled pleased she now had a much better view!

Inside the waiting area, Pan was readying herself for her first match, Chuka and Goten standing around her.

"Good luck Pan," Chuka smiled as her friend stretched her muscles preparing herself for her fight. "Give it your best shot!"

"I will," Pan nodded smiling back confidently. In truth she felt a little sorry for her opponent, recognising him for who he was. She knew this would not take long. With a deep breath she walked forward, greeted by the crowd's deafening chanting and cheers. Her opponent Knock walked nervously beside her. He was right to feel nervous; he'd seen Pan's match in the twenty-eighth Budokai against Mo Kekko and remembered how easily she'd defeated him!

"Go Pan!" Bra cheered from the stands. "Beat him!"

"Pan's already got this arrogant fool beat," Vegeta muttered unimpressed. "I'm surprised the loser hasn't forfeited."

"He still has a chance to do so you know," Hairiyu pointed out.

"As many of you will already know, Son Pan is the granddaughter of the world champion Mr Satan," The announcer explained. "She made her first appearance in the Budokai six years ago at the age of five; unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances the tournament was cancelled. We saw a little of what she had to offer at such a young age; let us see what more she has to show us!

"Knock is also a returning competitor to the Budokai and also competed in the same Budokai as Pan six years ago. In that tournament he forfeited before his match which incidentally did not take place due to the cancellation of the tournament."

Pan stood in position, facing the shaky man. She was ready. The drum roll started up, the crowds' roars almost drowning it out until the gong was hit.

"Let the match begin!" The announcer cried.

"W-W-Wait!" Knock screamed terrified. "I f-for-"

Pan jumped the gun allowing him no chance to finish. With one swift motion she struck the man clean in the stomach with a kick, sending him crashing back into the barriers below where the crowds sat! The sudden loud crack startled many of those just above the impact, some even leaving their seats! Knock slowly slipped down onto the ground in a slumped position, unmoving. A couple of nervous officials rushed over to him and checked him over, including the announcer.

"... Knock is out! Pan advances to the next round!"

The crowds screamed loudly, Pan bowing to the audience before leaving the staging area and disappearing back into the waiting area.

"Big Sister Pan won, Papa!" Inari grinned happily still seated on her father's shoulders.

"No surprises there," Gohan smiled proud of his daughter.

"That loser should have forfeited," Vegeta muttered rolling his eyes. "This is boring."

* * *

"Pan's really gotten a lot stronger," Mr Satan gawked at the television impressed with how fast his granddaughter's match had finished. "She didn't even give Knock time to blink!"

"Nah, I'll bet that's not even scratching the tip of the iceberg," Goku shook his head with a smile. "Remember, Pan has Saiyan genes in her."

"Yeah... I guess..." Mr Satan contemplated this for a moment. At the end of the day it didn't matter if his granddaughter had genetics that made her far more resilient and stronger than the average human or even the average super human, she was still his granddaughter. At least this way he knew there was a real chance his family would still stay known as martial arts champions for some time!

"I'm surprised not more of the others entered..." Goku mumbled folding his arms, a slight hint of disappointment in his tone. "Pan and Goten and Chuka entered... Why didn't anyone else? I hope the others are still training."

Mr Satan did not answer. He was half tempted to point out to Goku that his family had little time for training as they were trying to get by on the little money they had. His son-in-law had practically packed in his training years ago, his time too consumed by becoming a family man and a full-time researcher at Satan University. Goku's younger son barely managed to train and seemed to spend more time living a normal life assisting his mother when necessary. The Brief family were still running Capsule Corp and keeping the family business going; both Hairiyu and Trunks had little time to do anything but work and Hairiyu also had the role of being a mother to two children. Mr Satan did not know what Vegeta or Piccolo or those living at Kame House got up to these days but it infuriated him how much a one-track mind this Saiyan seemed to have when it came to living and surviving. Still he chose to stay quiet, knowing the Saiyan would never fully understand the pressures on his family. He kept his eyes firmly peeled on the television set.

* * *

"Let's start match number four!" The announcer yelled down the microphone. "Jet vs. Papaya!"

Another two fighters wandered out onto the ring.

Krillin sighed and stretched, "I hope this match is over soon so we can see Goten's fight."

"He's in the next one," Gohan nodded. "With luck the first rounds will finish soon. Providing they both win, Goten will face Buu in the second round. That will be the first real match of the whole tournament."

"... More of us should have entered..." Hairiyu groaned. "I wish I had entered; at least I'd be getting something that'd get my heart racing. All these unexciting fights are sending me to sleep! Even Pan's fight was dull because of how weak her opponent was... I wanna see some action!"

Unfortunately for the group, match four went on for quite some time but finally Jet emerged victorious. The announcer quickly moved on, "Time for match five! Son Goten and Tenko, could you please step out onto the ring?"

"Goten's up," Videl sat forward in her seat. "... His opponent's a woman. This'll be interesting!"

"In what way?" Gohan asked intrigued and unsure what his wife meant by that comment! "Well with luck he'll go easy on her – n-not because she's a woman; because she's a normal athlete and he's a super powerful fighter with superhuman powers!" He felt he had to explain his statement as soon as both his wife and Hairiyu shot him angered glances. He hadn't meant to cause offence!

"Who cares about all that?! Go Goten! That's my son!" Chichi bellowed enthusiastically. "Come on! Win us that prize money!"

"Chichi, you do remember if Goten has to fight Mr Satan, he'll have to lose," Krillin chuckled.

"Aww who cares about that man's reputation anymore?! We're running out of cash and my baby's already had to concede one victory because of his father's leaving!" Chichi snapped. "Goten, beat her!"

Down in the waiting room, Pan and Chuka were giving Goten words of encouragement, not that he really needed it! "Good luck Uncle!" Pan smiled from the entrance of the waiting room, Goten patting his niece on the head and nodding with a confident smile.

"I won't be needing it Pan; save the luck for when I have to face Buu in the next round!"

"Excuse me?" The trio turned around to see Goten's opponent glaring angrily back at them, arms folded across her chest. "Don't think I'm a pushover!" She huffed, barging past them into the arena and sunshine.

"She seems angry at something," Chuka mumbled oblivious. "... She's really pretty."

"Yeah," Goten nodded, suddenly lurching and turning to face the girls as an urge to clarify himself rose. "I-I mean she's angry at something but I'm not sure what!"

Pan grinned and sniggered, "Go get her Uncle!" She teased with a wink.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're a stupid little kid; you know nothing!" Goten grumbled as he followed his opponent out into the arena, ignoring his niece's protests and shouts. The crowd's cheers drowned out any other sounds, it reminded Goten of the first time he'd set out into this arena as a seven-year-old boy... He'd had stage-fright but nevertheless he'd won his match. The stage-fright was missing but Goten knew victory was already his.

Now how was he going to beat his opponent? She seemed a little weedy to him but Goten knew better than to judge by appearances; she'd made it to the final matches because she'd beaten her opponents in the preliminaries.

"Son Goten is a fighter returning to the Budokai. He first appeared as a little boy at the twenty-fifth Tenkaichi Budokai and was the runner-up in the now unused Junior Division. He returned in the twenty-eighth Budokai which was cancelled and was scheduled to fight Mr Buu. For those of you who were old enough to remember, he is the son of a previous champion of the Tenkaichi Budokai, Son Goku!

"This is Tenko's first appearance at the Budokai tournament. She is an aspiring martial artist and wanted to enter the tournament so she could donate the prize money to a charity."

'_Really?'_ Goten raised an eyebrow. _'A charity? She looks too angry right now to want to help some unfortunate people out!'_

Both fighters took their positions on the stage.

"Goten, go easy on her!" Gohan called.

"Go son!" Chichi yelled.

"His opponent's quite the looker!" Master Roshi adjusted his glasses keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the woman standing opposite Goten. "Good style, a great stance... heh heh!"

The drums started, Goten taking in the anticipation and relaxing himself; his opponent put up her guard waiting for the gong. The loud vibration stuck their ears, Goten finally putting up his guard.

"Finally going to take me seriously?" Tenko called from across the ring still looking infuriated over something. "Don't even think of pulling your punches unless you want me to effortlessly beat your sorry ass!"

"Wow she's really riled up," Goten muttered to himself. "Sorry but for your benefit I will be pulling my punches: I've got an example to set."

"... What are you waiting for?" Tenko asked irked. "Come on!"

"Ladies first," Goten replied ignorant to the issue his opponent was having with him and how he was making it worse!

The vein on Tenko's head seemed to pop; she twisted her head in disgust. "You want me to go first... You chauvinistic pig?!" With a yell Tenko charged forwards, running straight for Goten.

"What? Chauvinistic?!" Goten raised an eyebrow, easily dodging Tenko's fists; her reaction time wasn't too bad as she spun on one heel and threw her other fist out, again Goten dodged. Tenko opened up a barrage of attacks, all of which Goten dodged, a little confused to this woman's temper and actions. In all honesty he was spending more effort trying to work out in what way he was being chauvinistic than focusing on dodging!

"Tenko is on the attack; Goten can't seem to deflect or get an edgeways in of an attack!" The announcer shouted with excitement.

"Look! I don't know why you're angry or why I'm a chauvinist but I'm telling you I won't be using my full strength against you or anyone else!" Goten spoke through the reflexive manoeuvres he had to make. "I didn't even do anything to offend you that I'm aware of! What's the deal?!"

"You're just like the others!" Tenko snapped, lashing one leg out and once again missing her target. "They all say they'll hold their punches just because they think I can't take it! Well I can take it! Then you all try to put a gentlemanly show on and act like you're gonna be polite just because I'm there! Cut the crap and stop being such an ass!"

"What the heck are you talking about?!" Goten jumped into the air away from Tenko's reach, much to her surprise and disbelief.

"Goten's taken to the sky! Tenko can't reach him!" The announcer gasped. "This could be it ladies and gentlemen."

Tenko clenched her fists and squatted down to the ground.

Goten blinked in surprise. "... Is she gonna?"

Tenko's legs pushed up off the ground, propelling her up into the air towards Goten.

"No... It's not." Goten breathed a small sigh of relief, easily dodging Tenko as she passed him, rising higher into the air. Eventually gravity stopped her; Tenko started to fall back down to the ground. Goten watched as his opponent closed in, one clenched fist drawn back as she adjusted herself and got into position. _'Should I just knock her out-of-bounds?'_ he pondered. No, a kiai wouldn't be right, besides she could get hurt or worse the kiai could send her into the crowds. Instead Goten began to descend to the ground at the same pace as Tenko, feet slamming to the arena floor and legs stretching as he shot backwards, avoiding Tenko's attack as she crashed to the floor on all limbs.

"You jump far higher than I thought you'd be able to!" Goten exclaimed in surprise.

"Just goes to show you shouldn't underestimate me!" Tenko smiled confidently, standing back to full height. "Now do you feel like going all-out?"

"Sorry but like I said, I can't," Goten shook his head.

Tenko's brow burrowed further, "Then I'll just have to convince you further!" She launched herself forwards and started an onslaught of attacks, again Goten dodging every single one. Feeling how futile this match was going to appear to her, Goten decided to act. A fist flew forward only to cut through the air once more; this time Tenko was taken by shock. Her opponent had vanished!

"Behind you."

Tenko began to turn just as Goten drew one arm back, palm stretched out...

Goten struck the woman clean in the chest with as little strength as he could, pushing her clean off her feet. Tenko skidded across the arena and toppled off the edge crashing onto the grass with a thud.

"What incredible strength!" The announcer cried. "Tenko is out-of-bounds – Goten had won the match with only one attack!"

Goten wandered over to the edge of the ring, squatting at the side and observing his opponent, checking to make sure she wasn't too hurt from his hit. "You alright? Sorry, I didn't think you'd go so far! Do you want any help?"

Tenko ignored him as she started to rise to a sitting position, then onto her feet. Her tightly-clenched fists shook by her sides as she slowly raised her head, glaring venomously at Goten. "... You... YOU PERVERT!"

"Um... excuse me?!" Goten blinked baffled.

"You touched my chest you pervert!" Tenko snapped, a heavy blush on her angry-looking face. "Chauvenist! Pig!"

"It was an accident, I didn't mean to!" Goten protested. "You turned around!"

"What did you expect me to do?!" Tenko yelled back. "When someone says 'behind you' naturally you'll turn around! You knew I was going to do it and you took advantage!"

"Um... contestants? We need to get the next match underway." The announcer mumbled, microphone held away from his mouth. "Could you argue in the waiting area?"

"S-Sure," Goten nodded feeling glum and a little embarrassed. He hadn't meant to touch her there of all places! His opponent strode off without a word, leaving Goten to return back to his niece and her friend who were waiting for him.

"Alright ladies and gentlemen – let's get the next match underway! We're in for a real treat with this one!" The announcer cried, microphone again drawn to his mouth. "It's one of the matches you've all been waiting for: Mr Satan's protégé Mr Buu versus Dondo!"

As the crowds roared in anticipation, Goten wandered back through the entrance to the waiting room, passing both contestants on the way. "Go easy on him, Buu!" He smiled as the Majin passed him.

"Buu will," Buu replied cheerfully.

"Uncle, did you really touch her... you know..." Pan mumbled annoyed, a small embarrassed blush on her face.

"It was an accident," Goten grumbled still feeling mortified it had even happened. It had been a simple accident!

His niece's face whitened with horror. "Eww! Uncle you're disgusting!"

"You're a pervert!" Chuka backed away from him a little. "I'm so sorry you're related to him Pan!"

"I'm not a pervert!" Goten snapped. "Why do you two even know what that is?! You're kids!"

The gong sounded. Mr Buu's opponent charged in with a kick. The limb struck Buu's stomach... only for him to be bounced back and sent soaring through the air! Dondo crashed to the grass.

"Out-of-bounds!" The announcer declared. "Mr Buu wins!"

The crowds' cheering was deafening as Buu gave a wave to the crowds as he walked back to the waiting room.

"Buu, I want your babies!" A woman cried.

"That's Mr Satan's protégé for you!" A man grinned.

"What do you expect? He's great!" Another man agreed.

"Buu's his protégé?" Gohan chuckled glancing over to his wife. "Since when?"

"... This is embarrassing!" Videl groaned hiding her face in her palms, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Why does he have to come up with such lies?"

"Well people will believe it..." Hairiyu smiled, "...so why not!"

"Alright, now I'm sure this will be an interesting match!" The announcer's voice came over the speakers. "Match seven of the first rounds sees Jinna face Squach! Could both contestants come out to the ring?"

"Hey Chuka, it's your turn after this match," Pan smiled. "Are you ready?"

"No but I'm scared," Chuka frowned; she'd forgotten she had come here to fight!

"You'll be fine," Goten assured her. "You're your mother's daughter after all!"

"So?" Chuka replied unconvinced. "I don't like to fight much... and mama's really strong! It's scary!"

"Yeah your mama's really, really strong!" Pan agreed, "So's my papa and my uncle! They're really hard to fight against but it's fun! Your grandpa Vegeta is really strong too, I think he's the hardest to beat!"

Chuka didn't answer, instead her attention focused on the current match as the gong sounded. Both fighters seemed to be way under what she knew she was capable of but she couldn't help but feel outclassed. Mr Buu was incredibly strong and difficult to even hurt, Goten and Pan were both stronger than her and Mr Satan was the current world champion! How was she meant to have a chance against any of these fighters?

Her turn to show everyone what she could do eventually came, whether she wanted it to or not!

"Alright then! Ladies and gentlemen, the eighth and final match of the first round begins now! Could the last two contestants please come on out?"

"It's Chuka's turn to fight," Soba smiled.

"Chuka! Win!" Shio cheered alongside Inari, both waving their hands up in excitement.

"I hope her nerves don't get the better of her," Hairiyu mumbled concerned.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 006 – Quarter Finals Begin!**

Inside the waiting area Chuka was being psyched up by her friends, not that it seemed to be working! Her match was the final match of the first round and it felt as if she'd spent most of the previous seven matches panicking about her own fight. Her opponent was gigantic compared to her. She knew size wasn't everything but he wasn't what was terrorising her. Having to fight in front of so many watching eyes was daunting at the very least!

"Good luck Chuka, you can win," Pan smiled patting her antsy friend on the shoulder.

"I'll try..." Chuka stared down at the floor as she turned and started to walk out into the stadium. The noise from the crowds was deafening and scared her further; there were so many people here watching them! Heavy footsteps were coming from behind her, Chuka took a small glance quickly turning back to face forward. Her opponent was gigantic compared to her! He wasn't a giant by any means but he was three-times the size of her! Plus Chuka was small for any ten-year-old as it was!

"Chuka is the youngest competitor at this year's competition at the age of ten. She's participated before but never saw her match as the tournament was cancelled that year," The announcer drew the competitor's backgrounds out for the crowds. "She will be facing Oojin, a giant of a man who competed last year and made it to the semi-finals, only to lose to Mr Buu! He'll be here to redeem himself no doubt!"

"Yeesh! That man's awfully tall and that girl's awfully small!" One man gulped feeling anxious for the small girl about to fight.

"I hope he'll be gentle with her! The poor girl!" A woman frowned. "Who'd let their child enter this competition anyway? What irresponsible parents!"

Both competitors made it onto the ring and stood in their respective places waiting for the gong to be struck to signal the start of their bout.

'_Don't be nervous... don't be nervous...'_ Chuka told herself. It was easier said than done. She knew somewhere in those crowds her family was watching; she didn't want to embarrass herself in front of them by losing in the first round against someone she knew was weaker than her! Not only that, she could feel thousands upon thousands of pairs of eyes piercing through her like lasers. She dared not look at the crowds surrounding her, knowing if she even dared to glimpse, her courage would hightail it from her body leaving her quivering like a nervous wreck, as still as a statue. She hated being the centre of attention and this was one of those situations everyone would be watching her.

Her opponent didn't seem to be suffering in the way she was, which Chuka felt a little embarrassed for feeling how she did. He was probably about to lose this fight and here she was the one panicking! Would he lose this fight? She'd always been told never to judge a book by its cover; the doubtful voice in her head was scolding her for even daring to think she would automatically win! For all she knew he could be hiding his power, making out he was a weakling and trying to catch her off-guard.

The drum roll started, Chuka's heart beating almost to the same rhythm as it increased; the sound of the gong breaking through her trail of thoughts. It had begun. The ground suddenly shuddered below her as Oojin stomped over to his opponent, suddenly jumping forwards catching Chuka by surprise. A fist connected with her cheek: Chuka was sent off her feet soaring uncontrollably across the arena.

"Chuka!" Pan barked loudly willing her friend to regain control.

Chuka rolled in mid-air, breaking her flight through the air and stumbled back onto her feet, Oojin chasing after her. Her priorities were a little mixed up as she paid little attention to her opponent, too preoccupied with placing one hand on her tender cheek; it wasn't painful but she'd felt the contact. It stung a little against her touch but it wasn't anything that would cause her to cry with pain. The next blow – this time a kick – sent Chuka shooting up into the air; _'Idiot – concentrate!'_ She scowled at herself. Oojin'd grabbed her by the arm and tossed her over to the edge of the ring. She'd lose to an out-of-bounds! Chuka hadn't been focusing at all and she was about to lose the match!

"Chuka stop!" Soba yelled from the stands, terrified his daughter was about to ring-out. She could do better than this, he knew it!

"Her nerves are getting the better of her," Hairiyu growled through gritted teeth, infuriated to see her daughter doing so badly against a foe she could easily beat. Motherly instincts were scolding her for forcing her daughter into fighting when she clearly lacked the heart and stomach to do it. Another fragment of the same instinct was urging her to encourage her child as much as possible, knowing she was capable of so much more. "Come on Chuka!" Hairiyu yelled at the top of her lungs.

The shouts and gasps from the crowds, including those of her parents seemed to pull the young girl from her daze, almost instantly halting her movement with relative ease inches from touching the grass below!

"That was a close one!" Chuka breathed a relieved sigh, now realising her opponent could no longer reach her as she'd past the perimeter of the arena. At least she was safe floating here! _'Now I'm safe, what to do?'_

"Whoa! Little Chuka is hovering over the grass!" The announcer gasped, not expecting her to have been able to perform such a feat. "This is unbelievable! I have seen very few fighters who have been able to do this!"

The crowds stared in awe and disbelief, eyes wide as they could be. Before them, the little girl was hovering in mid-air now around five feet above the grass; many had to rub their eyes and pinch themselves to make sure they weren't dreaming, even if it wasn't the first time they'd seen this trick today! Even her opponent was stunned, unable to fathom out how she'd managed to do such a trick! What exactly was he fighting?

Chuka composed herself and took in a deep breath. _'Gotta remember to concentrate. If I win this now, I can go back to the others quicker and not have to stay out here!_' With little effort she brought herself back onto the edge of the stage, wiping her brow. "I shouldn't get distracted or I'll lose!" She mumbled to herself. "Gotta finish it quickly." Her eyes fell back to her foe who seemed to have zoned out, stumped by her ability to move through the air!

"Chuka has landed back on the ring!" The announcer reported with interest and enthusiasm to the spectators. "What an incredible talent this young lady has!"

"Sorry, I wasn't ready before," Chuka apologised to her opponent with a small bow of respect. "I'll attack now if that's ok?" It would be rude to just rush in when he wasn't prepared!

"What?" Oojin glared angrily at the girl, determined not to be deterred from her strange abilities. "Not ready eh? Well get ready for this!" He once again charged towards the girl.

This time Chuka was on guard. With a jump she shot up to three times her own height and easily dodged the first fist, launching herself up higher as one foot pushed down on Oojin's head! The force was so great it sent him head over heels across the arena, stumbling over his own feet before diving head-first off the edge of the ring!

"Oh! Oojin has been pushed off the edge of the ring – Chuka is the winner!" The announcer bellowed down the microphone, the crowds slowly starting to cheer.

Chuka landed and looked behind her with confusion, slightly taken back to see her opponent on the grass! She hadn't expected to beat him that easily and hadn't even meant to get him out-of-bounds with that little jump of hers! Hurriedly she made her way back to the waiting area, mostly ignoring the cheers and cries of the crowds and keeping her eyes pinned to the path before her. She was just pleased it was all over! Her mother would no doubt show some signs of disappointment in Chuka's distractions, something she was hoping she wouldn't have to listen to. It was bad enough it had happened, she didn't want a reminder especially not from her mother!

"You won!" Pan grinned, grabbing her friend by her hands and jumping on the spot, Chuka not as enthusiastic but still managing to smile about her victory.

"We're all through to the next round," Goten smiled. "Good job girls, just remember to use the appropriate amount of-"

"Yeah yeah, we know, Uncle!" Pan chimed in quickly interrupting him. "Use the right amount of strength!"

"We'll be alright!" Chuka added with a smile.

Goten then turned his attention over to Apprentice, who merely waved back nonchalantly much to Goten's annoyance! He was starting to grate on Goten's nerves but the fighter knew he had far more to focus on such as his next match! He was up against Buu!

"Alright ladies and gentlemen! Let match nine of the Thirtieth Tenkaichi Budokai begin!" The announcer riled up the crowds; a task that was not too difficult for him due to his years worth of experience. "We've now reached the quarter final matches of the Budokai and are one step closer to finding out who will become the new victor and have the opportunity to face off against the current champion - Mr Satan!" The crowds roared at the mere mention of the man's name. "That'll be a fight to see! Now let's call out the fighters for the next match: Apprentice will take on Sho!"

Apprentice stood onto his feet and passed the group as he once again made his way onto the stage, cloak still in possession.

"It has to be him," Goten smiled. "I'm positive."

"Who do you think he is?" Chuka asked still oblivious to his identity.

"I'll let you two work it out on your own," Goten responded teasingly.

"What? That's not fair, Uncle!" Pan protested in annoyance. "Stop saying it if you're not going to tell us!"

The battles went as everyone had predicted. Once again Apprentice beat his opponent with little effort, earning him a place in the semi finals. Then Pan's match was up next. After the crowds quietened down her match started; again she easily defeated her opponent with a knock-out much to the expectations of her friends and family and the thrill of the crowds who cheered her name alongside her Grandpa Satan's name. Goten and Buu's turn quickly arrived.

"This'll be a great match to watch," Gohan smiled anticipating this match to be one that would not disappoint. "I don't like Goten's chances but with luck he'll give Buu a run for his money!"

"Yeah right! Goten's gotten soft and slacked off just like you all have!" Vegeta snorted with a twinge of a cruel smile on his face. "Buu will make mincemeat of him! He'll get what he deserves for not focusing on his training. Peace is a warrior's greatest enemy and so is lack of drive – something all of this generation seems to have!"

"Alright, alright. Enough," Hairiyu growled at her father. "We all have busy lives to live and families to feed! You're the biggest moocher I know and unlike you, this generation is earning their own keep!"

A wail of despair came out of Inari's mouth as she realised what Vegeta had meant; she turned to her mother with horror in her eyes. "W-W-Will Uncle Goten lose?" She gawped fearful for her uncle's safety.

"Um... Why don't we watch the match and see?" Videl suggested awkwardly; she probably knew the answer to the question even if she wasn't the best person to be asking! It had been years since she'd used her ki sensing powers and she wasn't going to let her youngest daughter know the truth. Inari had a soft spot for her uncle and emulated him whenever she could, assured he was one of the strongest fighters in the entire world and universe. To hear he would lose would shatter her views and she was far too young for that to happen to. She would learn in due time just where her uncle really ranked amongst her family and their friends.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the third round of the quarter finals begins now! Son Goten will fight against the reigning runner up Mr Buu! This'll be one heck of a match to watch!" The announcer called above the general nattering of the crowds.

Goten did not speak as he left the waiting room, ignoring his niece's cheers and ignoring the roars of the crowds. Buu followed; the usual smile ever present on his chubby face.

This was not going to end in Goten's favour and he knew it! Buu was an exceptional fighter capable of almost anything. He was almost immortal; it would take a lot of energy to vaporise him entirely and Goten knew he wasn't capable of such a large feat. If he was lucky he'd get a ring-out but Buu was crafty and could twist and turn his body into impossible positions making a ring-out almost impossible. Furthermore Buu could learn Goten's own techniques through fighting him; he was a fast learner and had demonstrated this during his battles with the others sixteen years ago. Though Goten'd never really stopped his training in those sixteen years in the way Gohan had, he hadn't really come up with anything original and new since his battles as a child.

Both fighters made their way onto the arena and readied themselves for battle. The crowds quietened as they were left anticipating the start of the fight, no one really sure when the gong would be struck. Then when it all seemed as if a pin drop could be heard, the gong was stricken.

The battle started surprisingly fast; both Goten and Buu knowing this would be an actual fight rather than those pitiful matches they'd had to fight earlier. The two competitors vanished as far as human vision went; the crowds gasping with shock and futilely trying to spot them searching the ground and the air. Shockwaves rattled the atmosphere as fists flew, Goten on the attack as Buu almost effortlessly blocked his strikes.

"The ground is shaking below my feet!" The announcer trembled. "Wow, what a fantastically fast-paced match! Such is to be expected from these two competitors! Hey... can anyone actually see either of them?!"

As if on cue, both Goten and Buu appeared in mid-air. Goten struck Buu down with a fist, the pink fighter falling dangerously close to the arena floor: nevertheless it was little effort for Buu to regain control and land safely upon the stage, the tiles cracking under his weight.

Goten continued his attack, slowly forcing Buu across the arena and to the edge of the ring with every attack he could dish out. Buu's foot slid off the side of the stage; the Majin finally noticing and glancing back. Goten stole the lapse in concentration and thrust one fist clean into Buu's cheek. The blow didn't send Buu off his feet but tilted his centre of balance. Goten continued striking the Majin in the same spot, Buu slowly tilting over with every hit. The demi-Saiyan swung one leg around and round-house kicked Buu clean in the jaw, sending the Majin over the top of the ring, himself now hovering in mid-air metres above the grass. The half-Saiyan warrior landed on the arena floor and pushed both hands out before him, firing a blast straight for his opponent. Buu slapped the attack to the sky and followed suite, bolting higher and higher into the sky. Goten chased his opponent up into the air.

"Both competitors are flying!" The announcer bellowed. "They're both suspended in the air, battling it out! This is one of the most exciting quarter-final matches we've seen in years!"

"Go Goten! Atta boy!" Chichi cheered aggressively. "Go son!"

"Buu's gotten better since the fight with his evil counterpart," Hairiyu mused impressed. "I didn't think it was possible for him to increase his power."

"It could just be because he's fighting Goten," Gohan replied. "He might not have actually gotten any stronger."

"Stop talking and cheer!" Chichi bellowed interrupting the conversation and shouting more at Gohan than anyone else. "He's your brother – show him some support!"

"G-Go, Uncle!" Inari waved her arms up, a little intimidated by her grandmother!

Goten was locked in a fierce barrage along with Buu only it was Buu now on the attack. One thick pink arm stretched its way around Goten catching him by surprise. Before Goten could do anything about it, the arm tightened and wrapped around the half-Saiyan, trapping Goten's arms against his body and squeezing him, putting pressure on his arms and ribs. Goten struggled to break free but found himself unable to force a gap wide enough for him to slip through. With a grin Buu lifted Goten higher into the sky, arm bending in such a way to suggest something incredibly painful was about to happen. Goten braced himself, fully aware of Buu's intentions!

With one powerful flick of the Majin's limb, Goten was sent bolting towards the ground against his will. He was travelling far too fast to be able to stop himself in time!

The entire stadium shuddered as the half-Saiyan struck the arena stadium with a terrific thud throwing loose dust across the stadium ring and surrounding grass verges, coating the lower seating areas in a fine dust. To everyone's amazement the warrior had managed to land on both hands and feet, now in the centre of a large dent in the arena stage.

"Whoa! Goten somehow manages to survive what had to have been a bone-shattering throw to the ground!" The announcer loudly shouted down the microphone. "Such an incredible fighter this young man is!"

Despite the agonising stinging in his feet and hands Goten rose, wiping his hands down gingerly and turning to face Buu; the Majin still suspended in the sky above.

* * *

In Mr Satan's dressing room, Goku and Mr Satan still had their eyes glued to the television. Goku couldn't help but beam with pride as his youngest son came back on screen, slowly rising off the floor with nothing but a small sweat. "That's my boy. It's so good to know that at least one of the boys is getting serious about his training."

"Buu might actually have to put some force into it, huh?" Mr Satan didn't sound too enthusiastic. "Please let there be a stadium left by the time this battle's over!"

"Nah, Goten and Buu are both doing really well keeping their power under check," Goku consoled the worried champion. "Besides, this isn't really the match you should be worried about if you're thinking the stadium is gonna be destroyed."

Mr Satan passed Goku an apprehensive glance. "... Don't tell me Uub's gonna really let loose!" He'd worked out for the most part who the mysterious Apprentice was – who else would Goku be keeping his eye on out of this pack of warriors? Apprentice had easily won both his fights without so much as breaking a sweat – his secrecy about his appearance just made it all the more obvious!

"Well I've told him not to unless it's necessary..." Goku dodged the direct answer which only made Mr Satan panic all the more!

* * *

"They're both really strong..." Tenko muttered watching from the waiting room alongside the other contenders, most of whom had never seen Mr Buu fight before so were naturally in awe.

"Uncle's really having a rough time against Mr Buu," Pan gulped nervously. "He's gonna lose."

"I think so too," Chuka nodded in agreement. "Mr Buu's one of the strongest people I know - besides Grandpa and Mama."

Buu still hovered above the crowds and above the ring floor. This gave Goten a golden opportunity.

'_I know it won't beat him but it'll at least slow him down,_' Goten clenched his fists and drew them in a cupped position to the side in that familiar stance.

Gohan gasped when he realised what his brother was about to do, "Be careful Goten," he uttered quietly, a bead of sweat running down his temple.

"What is he thinking preparing a Kamehameha with these sorts of crowds and this tight a space?" Krillin stammered alarmed.

"Don't worry, Goten's not the type to go recklessly firing off Kamehameha attacks," Master Roshi assured his former student. "Have some faith in him. He knows right now there's no other way of beating Buu at this point..."

"Not that he'll beat Buu of course..." Piccolo muttered.

"Listen to you all, counting my boy out just because he's fighting Buu?!" Chichi snapped. "My Goten has been training far too hard to lose! He's Goku's son – of course he'll win!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 007 – Goten's Gambit**

The crowds watched perplexed and astonished. Many muttered amongst themselves trying to work out whether the blue light shimmering between Goten's palms was real or a figment of their imagination! As the familiar blue light of the Kamehameha began to form in Goten's hands, Buu calmly watched his opponent high above the stadium as the attack was revved up. He knew better than to land and put many lives at risk; he would stay up in the air where no one else would be in the line of fire, otherwise Mr Satan would be very disappointed in him.

Goten was getting desperate.

"Ka... Me..." The half-Saiyan's ki rose higher and higher as he continued to power up the attack. "Ha... Me..."

"Uncle Goten's gonna use the Kamehameha!" Pan gasped horrified, knowing how much damage he could cause with the attack. "Be careful, Uncle!" She yelled through cupped palms, not that she really needed to say it. She knew he'd be as careful as he could but she still didn't like the idea he had to use it in the first place! There were far too many people crammed into the stands now at risk!

The blue aura became brighter and brighter, growing larger and larger in his palms as Goten continued to gather his ki, eyes fixed on the Majin before him.

"W-What's this?!" The announcer stammered, voice magnified by the microphone he grasped onto. "Goten's forming some sort of blue light in his hands! Folks I have seen this happen many times before and still have not asked just what it is! Hold onto your hats!"

"He'd better get this right," Gohan mumbled worried. Recalling a similar incident to the once currently unfolding brought a twinge of anxiety to his inner voice, '_I know you can control your ki movement now but don't let the desperation get the better of you.'_ After all, the last time Goten'd performed the Kamehameha at a Budokai was sixteen years ago – and it had signed part of one of the official's buildings as it narrowly avoided the crowds!

"You'd better take this head-on Buu!" Goten bellowed loudly. "HAAAAA!"

With a furious yell he threw his hands forwards and released the Kamehameha aiming straight for Buu. The blue beam of ki shot up through the air straight for the opening of the top of the stadium and the sky beyond, Buu remaining on the spot. The Majin simply waited until the last second before reacting, dodging the oncoming beam with ease and flying over to the left. The Kamehameha shot higher and higher towards the skies.

Goten wasn't done.

He pulled his hands back slightly, a confident grin on his face akin to that of his missing father's. The Kamehameha suddenly changed course and reeled back down towards the ground and towards Buu!

Buu turned and gasped with surprise, barely dodging the attack again. The feeling of panic suddenly shot through his body as he realised what was about to happen; he'd let the Kamehameha slip past him and now it was heading straight down to the centre of the Budokai ring! If any of the crowd were injured or killed, Mr Satan would be furious!

Pan screamed horrified, "U-Uncle!"

Through the adrenaline pulsating through his body and his heart going into overtime, Goten concentrated and shifted his hands forwards once more; the Kamehameha closing in on the arena and the thousands of terrified spectators!

"Divert it!" Gohan bellowed bolting to his feet.

The Kamehameha narrowly brushed past the top of the east stand, searing part of the stand as it passed inches overhead. It turned to the skies and once again towards Buu.

This time Buu did not dodge: he dared not risk it again. Instead he held out both hands cupped outwards towards the oncoming attack in an apparent bid to block it. The beam hit the Majin directly; Buu's arms did not falter as he struggled to counteract the force behind the beam, whilst at the other end Goten intensified the amount of ki he was releasing. It was enough to slowly push Buu back through the air albeit he still did not succumb to the pressure being put onto him. Buu seemed to be holding on much to Goten's annoyance. With a grunt behind gritted teeth Goten dug deeper and deeper, trying to bring out as much of his own energy as he could into the attack without transforming into a Super Saiyan. He had to prove to himself he could damage Buu, even if he knew ultimately it would come to little use to him. The Majin could regenerate but he needed to know he was capable of still causing damage to a potential foe. He summoned all the power he could and with a cry released it into the flow of energy leaving his palms.

The sudden surge of power struck Buu too quickly for him to balance it out with his own strength. With one powerful swoop Buu's arms suddenly gave way and he fell forwards. The attack shot straight through him, disintegrating his arms and his head in the process and exiting in the lower half of his back! The Kamehameha shot off across the skies before being diverted up into space.

Goten lowered his hands, a small smirk on his face as he laid his eyes upon Buu.

Yes, he could do damage when he focused but even so it was not enough to completely satisfy him. As morbid a thought it was, Goten needed to know he could wound and potentially kill an opponent with his own power, though not for the sole purpose of killing. He didn't want to need to rely on Trunks and the fusion technique if worst came to worst; knowing sometimes his own power could be enough was necessary if he was to continue to train as his father had wished for. His father and brother were capable of such feats through their own power so surely it was only right Goten should be too? It wasn't that he was opposed to fusion and working with Trunks, it was more for his own confidence and assurance he could be just as great a protector as his father and brother had both been in the past.

Energy suddenly felt as if it had been completely sucked out from his shaking body, muscles no longer able to support his own weight as Goten dropped to one knee, the lack of energy finally hitting him and exhaustion settling in. He'd used more energy for his attack than he'd planned and now he was paying the price for it. No, it wasn't enough after all. He knew it was of no use if he couldn't even stand after pulling off such a feat. His breath was short and rapid, lungs screaming for oxygen.

"Folks I can't tell from where I'm standing but the light seemed to have been momentarily stopped by Mr Buu!" The announcer cried amongst the small mutterings of the crowd. "He now seems to be floating above the ground though if my eyes didn't mistake me, I fear that energy may have passed through him!"

"That Kamehameha was enough to surpass Buu's limits and overcame him," Piccolo spoke to the others quietly. "Too bad it won't last. Buu cannot be defeated by that level of attack but Goten should be proud of himself. I don't think he'd have been capable of feats like that when he was a kid."

"Buu'll regenerate and be as energetic as ever, where as Goten's spent a lot of his energy in that Kamehameha," Gohan nodded in agreement. "I wonder what he'll do now..."

As expected high above the crowds (not that any of the crowds really knew of the horrifying form Buu had now taken), Buu's body began to change and grow reacting to the lack of limbs and a head; new arms suddenly sprung from the mounds left and a new head popped out from his chest. In a flash the Majin was as good as new. Not wasting any time he began to descend towards his opponent, heavily landing on the stadium ring.

Goten glanced up to Buu and attempted to get back onto both feet but struggled, still exhausted from the amount of force he'd had to submit into his attack. Things were quickly starting to look grim for him and didn't he just know it? He'd expected this to happen so why did it come as such a disappointment to him? He'd always known the fight would end like this so why did it still bother him?

"Mr Buu has returned to the ring but his opponent Goten seems to be struggling," The announcer reported. "Can Son Goten get back up onto his feet or will he forfeit the match?"

"Come on, Uncle!" Pan cheered loudly from the athlete's waiting area. "Don't give up! Get up!"

"You can do it, Mr Goten!" Chuka added loudly.

Neither of the two girls were aware that Apprentice was a little ways behind them and had been watching the fight intensely, seemingly willing Goten to rise to his feet. He wanted to see more of what the Super Saiyan was capable of and what Buu could also do. His master had warned him about both fighters as well as several others and it had taken him by surprise to learn that only Son Goten, Son Pan, Chuka, and Mr Buu were the only ones of his master's friends who'd entered the Tenkaichi Budokai. He'd expected a few more fighters such as the other full-blooded Saiyan and perhaps his daughter and son, or perhaps the short Human warrior, or the Namekian fighter...

Goten gritted his teeth and attempted to rise again, trying to will himself with all the energy he could muster. _'Come on Goten, get to your feet for everyone else! Don't let them down!'_ This time his legs managed to stay stable though he was slouching. A small smile came across his face; slouching was good enough as far as he was concerned... which meant only one thing.

"Goten is back on his feet!" The announcer smiled with excitement, the crowds cheering slightly eager to see the next stage of the fight.

"Sorry," Goten apologised with a sad smile parallel to that of his father's. "I spent most of my energy in that Kamehameha, Buu... I forfeit." With that he turned to the announcer, "I'm out."

"... R-Right," The announcer nodded a little disappointed but never-the-less understanding of Goten's decisions. He could see the young son of Son Goku was struggling to stand up and had little doubt from the many experiences he had of witnessing ki blasts that they did sap the user of some bizarre power. He turned to the crowds and brought his microphone close to his lips: "Son Goten has forfeited the match! Mr Buu advances to the semi-finals! Let's give it up for these two amazing fighters and their impressive battle!"

The crowds whistled and clapped as both fighters made their way off the ring and towards the waiting room, both greeted by Pan and Chuka who'd come bounding up to them.

"Geez Uncle, why'd you give up?" Pan pouted disappointed. "You could have lasted a little longer against Buu, I know you could have!"

"Sorry Pan, Buu was just too tough to beat," Goten replied, suddenly collapsing to his knees once more as another bout of weakness hit him. He was caught mid-tumble with Pan attempting to support her uncle from under his arm. He knew he had to hush her concerns, "D-Don't worry, I'm fine..." He mumbled in a hoarse voice.

"Goten put up strong fight against Buu," Buu beamed as he landed nearby the group, "Still not strong enough to beat Buu! Buu a little tired by fight but not much! Buu can still stand."

"You're tired," Chuka frowned pitying the state Goten had gotten himself into. "Mr Buu can you heal him?"

"Buu can heal," Buu nodded shifting the head tentacle a little and raising his hands out.

"N-No... I just need to rest for a bit," Goten shook his head in defiance. "Just help me back into the waiting room."

Another hand wandered over to assist much to everyone's shock; Pan and Goten both surprised to see Tenko offering her help. She seemed to show a fair bit of concern despite how cold and irritable she'd come across earlier "Here I'll help, we'll get him into the medical office," she offered taking Goten over her shoulder and walking him into the waiting room alongside Pan and the others.

"I don't need to go there, really..." Goten replied still perplexed by her assistance. "I'll be ok."

"Tell that to the doctors once they've bandaged you up, moron," Tenko rolled her eyes. "Geez, did that huge pink guy give you a concussion or something? Hey little girl – Pan, right? I think it'll be ok if you let me take him."

Goten shuddered at the thought and shot his niece a look that dared her to leave him alone with this woman, to which Pan simply shook her head with a smile. "It's ok, I wouldn't want Uncle to do anything else bad to you, miss!" This only earned an embarrassed and furious blush from Goten who was now fuming at her for suggesting such a thing and also for not being able to find the energy to pull himself free and walk away!

"... Anyway, I don't think he needs taking to see any doctors," Pan added stopping in her tracks; Tenko surprised she wasn't able to shift Goten at all against the girl's grip! She really was the champion's granddaughter!

"Alright, the final match of the quarterfinals is next!" The announcer's voice cut through on the loud speakers. "Could contestants Squach and Chuka please make their way to the ring for the final match of the quarter finals?"

"Oh, I'm up again," Chuka realised, panic quickly bolting through her and almost paralysing her where she stood! Did she really have to put herself through the sheer embarrassment of having to fight in front of so many people? Why was she doing this to herself?

"Good luck!" Pan called as her friend spun on her heels and rushed back out onto the arena. Pan quickly looked to her uncle who was still being supported under her arm. "Uncle Goten, how bad are your injuries?"

"Not too bad, I'm just tired from fighting Buu," Goten replied, finally finding the energy to push himself out of Pan's strong grasp and standing on both feet, albeit a little shakily at first.

"You should go see a doctor," Tenko muttered crossly still unconvinced that his injuries weren't as miniscule as both fighters were suggesting.

"Nah I'll be fine," Goten shook his head with a goofy grin.

"I'm serious, that light that came out of you is not normal!" Tenko insisted concerned. "What the heck was that anyway? You know you're not allowed weapons in this tournament, right? You would have been disqualified if you'd beaten Mr Buu!"

Goten wasn't about to explain the usage of ki to her; it was a lot easier and simpler to keep quiet about it.

"You used a weapon, Uncle?" Pan asked oblivious to what Tenko was actually referring to.

"No I didn't," Goten replied with a snort. "She's just talking about the Kamehameha."

"Aww, that's not a weapon! That's just a ki attack!" Pan giggled much to Tenko's annoyance. "I'm gonna watch Chuka fight!" With that she turned and ran back to the entrance of the waiting room just as the gong struck.

Naturally it was over in a flash. By the time Chuka's opponent could work out what had happened, Chuka'd already knocked him clean off the stage and onto the grass with one kick, determined to end the match as fast as possible so she could go hide once more in the waiting room out of sight!

"I-Incredible! Chuka takes down Squach in just one kick!" The announcer screamed excitedly down the microphone. "Chuka advances!"

The anxious and baffled crowds were slow to applaud the girl, most weren't sure what had happened as it had occurred so fast! However her family and friends had expected nothing less from the brunette and were all celebrating her victory.

"Go Chuka!" Shio cheered from the crowds. "She won papa!"

"She sure did, Shio!" Soba nodded with a smile, affectionately rubbing his son's hair roughly. "See, she can do it if she puts her mind to it." This was more aimed towards his wife: Hairiyu sighing a small breath of relief knowing this time her daughter had not been so distracted.

Chuka hurriedly fled the thousands of eyes watching down on her and vanished back into the relative safety of the waiting room.

"You beat him! Awesome!" Pan greeted her friend and offered to high-five her, Chuka obliging and slapping her friend's hand with a bashful smile. "Now it's just you, me and Mr Buu left in the matches! One of us has gotta win!"

"Not so fast, Pan," Goten interrupted not looking as excited as the two girls. "Aren't you forgetting something? Your next opponent will not be a pushover like these others."

"Why?" Pan asked oblivious.

Goten nudged his head over to the matches board which displayed the match progressions. Pan's eyes drifted over to the map and she scanned it carefully. She spotted her own name and followed it up, passing her first two matches and up to the third match. She followed the line leading down to her opponent's name.

Chuka's jaw dropped, as did her smile. "... Oh... Oh no, Pan."

"Let's begin the semi-final rounds!" The announcer's voice cut through, "Three matches remain until the fateful battle with the current World Champion Mr Satan – the battle which will decide the World Champion and winner of the Thirtieth Tenkaichi Budokai! The first match of the semi-finals is sure to be another incredible bout! Both fighters so far have ended their two fights in a flash!"

Goten knelt down so he was now face-to-face with his niece, "Don't let your guard down against this guy. He will not be a pushover, I'm sure you know that by now. Just give it all you've got Pan."

"Ok, if you say so Uncle," Pan nodded feeling more nervous.

"Let's get our contestants out! Apprentice and Son Pan, could you please step out onto the ring!" The announcer called.

Pan took a quick glance over to her opponent who'd been keeping his distance and minding his own business in the corner of the room. He leaned away from the wall and followed the young girl out into the sunlight and the thousands of spectators surrounding them. Pan was the first onto the ring, paying little mind to the announcer who was talking to the crowds about the next few match line-ups as well as attempting to stir some more anticipation into the match. She knew she'd need to focus just as her uncle had suggested. The ki radiating from her opponent was larger than the other opponents she'd encountered and she knew she wasn't even beginning to scratch the surface. Pan'd seen what he'd done to his last two opponents.

"This'll be interesting," Gohan leaned forwards slightly in his seat, passing Inari back over to her mother so she wouldn't accidentally slip off his lap... again! "Pan's gonna have an interesting match against this guy."

"She'll win, right?" Videl turned to her husband, Inari looking at both her parents with curiosity.

"Who knows," Hairiyu replied solemnly. "That boy's power is pretty amazing... No guesses on who he really is." She snorted wryly.

"That Apprentice, there's something fishy about his energy," Master Roshi glanced intensely down towards the arena.

"Really?" Krillin asked surprised. "... Sure I can sense he's stronger than most of the other guys here and he had a good couple of matches but do you think he's enough to give Pan any trouble?"

"Guess we'll have to wait and see," Piccolo muttered. "... I think we all know who this Apprentice really is."

"No doubt it's him," Vegeta agreed with a nod.

"You know?" Bra asked inquisitively. "Who is he then, Papa? I thought his name sounded a little stupid!"

No one answered.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 008 – Pan Vs. Apprentice**

Both contestants had now taken their place on the tiled stage and patiently awaited the sound of the gong to signal the start of the match. Pan stood firmly eyeing her opponent. He had not removed his balaclava or his cloak in any of the matches and now it seemed he still would not reveal his identity. She wondered who it could be that could stir such an interest in her uncle Goten; who could be powerful enough to make him ask her to give it all she had? Well she wasn't going to hold anything back; she'd use as much strength as she needed without putting the spectators in danger.

The sound of the gong broke through her thoughts. Her shoes left the ground as she charged, fragments of tiles cracking under the force.

Apprentice did not move from his spot, instead he simply brought his arms up so his fists lay perpendicular to his hips. He seemed to wait for what felt like weeks though it was less than a second before Pan closed in on him. The girl drew one fist back before firing it out for her opponent's face, denied the contact as she was instead blocked by his arm. The entire movement looked like a blur to the audiences and the shockwave of the strike caused the arena floor to crack slightly under the pressure, a gust of wind passing over the entire bandstands catching the spectators by surprise.

'_Nothing, he didn't even flinch!'_ Pan noted to herself, taking in a deep breath. At least now she had a fair idea what she was up against. She could feel his power a little in the minimal contact they'd made; he was nowhere near his full potential and it sent shivers down her spine and caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end. This was barely the tip of the iceberg.

"Your attack has some pretty decent power behind it," Apprentice muttered, his arm still blocking Pan's fist. "You're definitely stronger than the last time we met."

Pan withdrew her fist and landed firmly on both feet a couple of metres away from her opponent, giving herself a chance of reacting in case he decided to charge at her. She wore a serious and determined expression like that of her mother's written across her face. "Of course I am. I've been training with my Uncle Goten," She explained. "Who are you anyway?" Not that she didn't have her guesses; he'd just told her they'd met before. The question was where had they met?

"That's something you'll have to work out for yourself," Apprentice replied. "I have the feeling your Uncle, Son Goten, knows who I am. No doubt by now your friends in the stands may have an idea of my true identity."

"So I'm going to have to beat it out of you?" Pan asked wryly, growing a little cross no one seemed to be willing to answer this question! "Fine, have it your way. I won't be holding anything back!"

"I look forward to seeing what Mr Satan's granddaughter can do," Apprentice smiled with approval.

Both fighters suddenly lunged forwards towards each other once again their movement almost invisible to the crowds, save those able to detect such fast movement. A terrific clap of thunder echoed through the stands as fists and legs clashed in a frenzied close-combat state that slowly started to rise into the sky as Pan dodged one of Apprentice's kicks, leaping high into the air and over the top of Apprentice's head. Apprentice anticipated her movements and back-flipped, slamming one foot deep into Pan's unguarded abdomen. The strike loosened some saliva from the winded girl's mouth and she choked, gaining a little height before recovering and landing back on the ground. The pain in her stomach fully hit her and she reeled over onto her knees, spluttering and coughing up more saliva, breathing laboured after having the air knocked from her lungs.

The crowds watched on, shocked that Mr Satan's granddaughter had been felled so easily. Many didn't know what to say or to think, all kept their eyes on the young warrior as she attempted to gain her energy and breath back. Apprentice stood patiently on the other end of the arena waiting for the same.

"Pan, get up!" Chuka called nervously from where she and Goten stood watching. "You can beat him!" Seeing Pan be felled so easily by one kick was not a common occurrence. Not even her uncle would use such force against her!

"I knew it, it has to be him," Goten muttered more to himself than anyone else.

"Who? Who is it, Goten?" Chuka asked growing a little tired of the secrecy and speculation.

"There's no doubt about it, Pan can't win this fight," Goten frowned grimly. "Her opponent's been trained by one of the best; his fighting style screams it out!"

"Tell me who it is!" Chuka bellowed in frustration. "Why can't Pan beat him? Who is he? I don't understand!"

Pan slowly rose back onto her feet, still holding her stomach with one arm wrapped around it. She'd initially suspected the force of his attacks weren't as strong as they could have been but if this latest hit was anything to go by, she knew she was in deep trouble. Her stomach felt as if it'd digested a brick or something and now every part of it felt tender and bruised. Despite the pain and proving to be just as stubborn and determined as her mother and father, Pan wiped the blood from her mouth and shook the pain off, readying herself for another sparring session with her foe. _'I'm the daughter of Son Gohan and Videl. I am the granddaughter of Mr Satan and Son Goku! I won't let myself give up so easily!'_ She goaded herself on.

"You did well to get up from that," Apprentice smiled at the young girl. "Only his granddaughter could probably have survived that. You do realise that I'm not getting serious yet though, don't you Pan?"

"Of course, neither am I," Pan replied coolly, a playful smile emerging across her face. "I've got a couple of surprises for you too, Apprentice... Or should I say Uub!"

It was difficult to gauge Apprentice's reaction because of the coverings masking most of his face, though Pan anticipated him to seem shocked.

"... I'm surprised you worked it out so fast. You catch on quick..." Apprentice said after a while. The man started to remove the cloak that covered his face and body, slinging it to the side and removing his balaclava, revealing his face. Indeed the lack of change in appearance since their last encounter was a clear indication that Uub was standing before her. Although he was easily recognisable and showed many similarities between his current and childhood self, he had grown considerably since the last time Pan had seen him, at least two feet taller in height and now into his teenage years. He was dressed in clothes that closely resembled those of which Goku had worn in the last tournament he'd participated in; the sign that Uub was very much his master's student. The only difference was the footwear; Uub had black boots on instead of regular martial arts shoes.

"... That's Uub?" Chuka gasped amazed and now feeling a lot more nervous for Pan. No wonder she'd seemed to be having a hard time against her foe! Chuka was glad it was Pan and not her out there fighting Uub! Had she even had the slightest inkling of Apprentice's true identity, she wouldn't have even started the match!

"Thought as much," Goten smiled to himself. "He didn't do the best job at covering up his identity!"

"Apprentice has unmasked himself for some strange and unknown reason," The announcer commentated in an attempt to keep the jeering crowd's attention under control. "I'm not sure of his true identity but we shall see if we can find out the meaning for his secrecy after the match is over!"

"There's no need for secrecy, not anymore," Uub spoke loudly to the announcer. "I've hidden my identity for long enough. It's time the world found out who I really am. I am Uub, the student and apprentice of the great martial artist Son Goku. I have come to represent my master in the Tenkaichi Budokai at his wishes."

"D-Did he say...?" Chichi gasped. "Uub?!"

"I don't believe it!" Piccolo spluttered. "I had my suspicions it was he but it's hard to believe that scrawny little kid we saw at the Budokai six years ago has grown to be so powerful! He might even be stronger than Majin Buu at this point!"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Vegeta muttered quietly rolling his eyes. He couldn't deny he too was intrigued by the full extent of Uub's powers now he'd undergone Kakarrot's training, yet was it too premature to make a judgement such as the one Piccolo'd made? His Saiyan blood now cursed him for not entering the Budokai after all: a fight with this boy would surely prove to be a challenging and pleasurable one at that! Despite knowing of his existence for the past six years, it was still incredibly difficult for Vegeta to get his head around the fact Uub could easily rival a Saiyan's power such as his or Kakarrot's, even though he'd bore witness to the fight at the Budokai six years prior. Had there been no restraints on Kakarrot's power such as the crowds, he was certain the fight would have been a different story all together.

"Geez... what has Goku been feeding that kid?" Krillin asked baffled and impressed with Uub's physique. "He looks pretty buffed up compared to the last time I saw him!"

"Does that mean that father is here somewhere?" Gohan asked, turning a couple of heads around him as others began to look alongside him. "I can't say I can sense him..." He mumbled after a while.

"Did you hear that, folks?" The announcer cried down the microphone. "Contestant Apprentice is none other than Contestant Uub who participated in the twenty-eighth Tenkaichi Budokai's last match against Son Goku, before the tournament was called off! I was not expecting to see this young man here today folks, nor had I known that his opponent in the last Budokai he participated in had started taking on students! This is definitely going to be one incredible battle, hold onto your seats!"

"Wait, if you're my grandfather's student now then where is my grandpa? Is he here?" Pan asked, suddenly feeling a little anxious to see her grandfather once again. It had been almost six years now since he'd left and not once had he come to visit home despite what he'd said. Though she was a little cross with him, she was still willing to see him! He was the greatest inspiration she had as a martial artist, always ultimately saving the planet and universe from terrifying threats.

"No, I'm afraid he's not here," Uub shook his head slightly disappointed at his answer. "He had some previous arrangements he had to attend to so I'm here on my own."

"Aww..." Pan frowned in despair. It had been six years since she'd last seen her grandfather and had missed him, though with the passing of time their separation had gotten less painful for her. She'd always thought if he would appear to them anywhere, this would be the place. It wasn't like she hadn't gone looking for him in the past – she had done! Every time she'd tried to track him down, his ki would suddenly vanish as if it didn't even exist, so eventually Pan had given up trying, even taking offence to his reluctance to see her or anyone else!

"Let us not focus on his absence though, we must continue our fight," Uub raised his fists slightly and crouched down. "Let the granddaughter of Son Goku and Mr Satan do battle with her own grandfather's student."

"... Alright but now that I know who you are, I certainly am gonna give this everything I have," Pan replied sternly, mimicking Uub's posture. "You may be his student but I have his genetics and blood running through me! We may both be raised on Earth but I've got some Saiyan in me too!"

* * *

Mr Satan stared wide-eyed at the screen, jaw agape as the cigar he'd sat puffing away with fell from his mouth and to the floor, thankfully not setting fire to anything just yet! Mr Satan didn't even notice, he was too busy being in total shock and disbelief at what his own eyes showed him!

"Looks like he blew his cover," Goku chuckled indifferent to his student's appearance. "It'll be interesting to see how both Pan and the others will react to this. I wish I'd been down there with them!"

"... Uh... I hate to pry, but Uub mentioned something about you not supposed to be being here..." Mr Satan muttered curiously. Goku wasn't supposed to be present at the tournament and yet here he was standing in Mr Satan's private room watching the battle with the current world champion! Something was amiss here and Mr Satan wasn't finding it!

"Yeah, I may have said that so that Uub wouldn't be distracted," Goku explained. "I didn't want him to constantly be looking over to me for approval. He's a hard-working boy and a great sparring partner but he's still a little too reliant on asking me for approval. I wanted to give him a taste of freedom and let him make his own decisions... After all, I won't be around forever and soon he won't need me to teach him."

"I see..." Mr Satan turned back to the television screen just in time to see both contestants vanish completely! "Oh no, not this! The fans won't appreciate not being able to see the fight!"

* * *

Uub and Pan were once again locked up in close combat, teleporting wildly around the arena doing their best to catch the other out. It quickly turned into a game of cat and mouse as Uub started to chase Pan down, Pan slowly being worn down with every escape she had to make. Pressure was truly upon her, Uub was like a large and ominous presence slowly squeezing her under his large thumb and she was rapidly running out of ways to avoid being squashed. One dash across the stage ended with a strike to her back, Pan crashing clean onto her face with a heavy thud, causing some of the stage to crack under the pressure.

From the stands, Inari screamed and hid her tear-soaked face into her mother's chest. "Pan's getting hurt, Mama! Make him stop!" She wailed hysterically, afraid for her older sister. "Make him stop, Mama!"

"It's alright Inari, Pan's stronger than this..." Videl answered, her own nerves beginning to sink in. She didn't find it easy to see her own child be thrown about the ring or take hits such as this, even if she did have her parent's blood. Videl was her mother, it would never be easy to witness a potential defeat. She could empathise with her child; losing was something Videl had never taken well and had tried to avoid at all costs, the humiliation and loss of pride in her heritage and family had always been too much for her to bear. "Come on Pan! You can do it!" She cried goading her child on.

"Hang in there Pan, read his movements!" Gohan cheered on his daughter, knowing it was likely she wasn't going to be the victor of the match. At the very least this would be a good exercise for Pan to learn about how to cope with defeat as well as testing her skills. She was very much her grandfather's child in that case, willing to go off to battles and better herself, to push herself against new challenges and foes, only to come back wanting to become better. That was something he hadn't had as a child.

Pan was well aware of her eventual defeat but refused to let herself give into the knowledge. She wouldn't go down without giving it her all, knowing she did everything she could to try and avoid defeat. She pushed herself onto her hands and knees, Uub standing a couple of metres behind her waiting for his opponent to rise and attack. He wasn't going to completely dominate the battle; he was more interested in seeing where Pan's training had taken her and what new abilities she now had. She was the granddaughter of his master after all and had Saiyan blood in her veins. _'It's now or never, Pan.'_ The young girl told herself as she rose to her full height, turning to face her opponent once again.

"Pan's gonna lose..." Chuka frowned, disheartened. "I wish she wouldn't lose. I wanted her to win."

Goten noticed the small twinge in his niece's ki, his eyes widening slightly as he realised what she was about to do. Anywhere but here! "Wait, Pan! This isn't the best place to be-"

With a scream Pan's ki started to rise, slowly at first before the rate of its increase sped up as it started to bolt higher and higher. Her aura was fully noticeable and had stunned many of the crowd into speechlessness! In a bolt of blinding light she broke the barrier and transformed, golden hair floating above her head as turquoise eyes fixated upon Uub. Strangely enough (or perhaps he'd been expecting her to do this all along, Pan wasn't sure) Uub wore a smile and seemed eager to continue the battle.

The crowds started to murmur quietly to themselves about Pan's sudden hair-change, many baffled as to what had caused it! Were they still looking down at the Champion's granddaughter or had she somehow swapped places with another child? Was this some kind of trick? Unlike the crowds who were uniformly reacting with shock, her family and friends were split across the board as to how to react.

"Hey, Pan did that super thing you and Uncle do, Mama," Shio pointed rather calmly. He seemed more amazed than scared, unlike little Inari who now looked as if she'd seen a ghost!

"Pan's a Super Saiyan?! Why am I really not surprised with this anymore?" Krillin groaned in exasperation, "So much for it being legendary! I swear I know of far more Saiyan who can transform than can't!"

"My poor granddaughter's a monster!" Chichi wailed horrified. "I was hoping it would skip a generation but no! Every single Saiyan in my family just has to transform!"

"This wasn't the best place for her to have done that," Gohan ignored his mother's distain. There was a tint of uncertainty in his voice, though he too was surprised to see his daughter shimmering gold! When had she been able to transform and why had no one told him about it? Better yet, just how busy would he have had to have been to not notice his daughter transform! How had this gone past his notice? Was his own skills at detecting ki signals growing rusty now he'd hung up the gloves, so-to-speak?

"M-M-Mama, what's wr-wrong with Pan's hair?" Inari asked wide-eyed. "I-It's all yellow and sticking up!"

"Did you know she could transform?" Videl asked her husband eyeing him up suspiciously.

"I swear I had no idea," Gohan responded defensively. "If anyone would have known about it, surely it'd be Goten or Chuka! Neither of them said anything!"

"Still, I doubt very much this'll help her against her opponent," Master Roshi grimly muttered changing the focus. "Uub is just too much an opponent!"

"No! Pan can't lose!" Inari protested loudly almost shouting at the poor turtle hermit! "My sister is the best! She's gonna win!"

Down below, Pan had once more charged her opponent. Uub quickly accounted for her increase in speed and managed to avoid her initial strike, however he'd been caught off-guard. Pan's kick had been accounted for but he'd failed to notice the energy attack in her hand in time to dodge. The blast struck the teenage boy in the chin, sending him flying back a couple of feet closely followed by smoke. Pan dashed into the dust and lodged another hit, this time throwing her fist into Uub's abdomen, knocking him back another few steps. Uub recovered just in time to avoid another attack, dodging around the side of Pan and striking her in the back of the head with a chop.

The dust was clearing, suddenly expelled further as Pan collided face down upon the stage, almost vanishing into a small crater as the tiles were compressed by the strike, accompanied by a terrific crack.

"That looked painful," Chuka gulped nervously watching from the sidelines, almost feeling the pain herself in her own head! Her strong sense of empathy was more of a hindrance in situations like these; she couldn't help but put herself in other people's shoes! "Can Pan get back up from that, Goten?" She turned to the young adult looking for some sort of confirmation that Pan could stand up to the hits.

"Guess we'll have to wait to find out," Goten muttered through gritted teeth. _'Darn it, I told her last night not to transform!'_

Uub stood over his opponent patiently waiting for her to either rise or for the ten-second count to finish.

"One... Two... Three," The announcer had indeed begun the countdown. Seconds passed slowly as the crowd watched in anticipation and suspense, "... Four... Five... Six... Seven..."

Pan started to twitch.

"Eight..."

She shifted her arms and slowly rose onto her hands and knees, grasping the back of her head with one hand and rubbing the tender spot.

"Nine..."

Determined to keep on going, Pan suddenly launched herself up into the air high above the arena. The push sent shockwaves through her limbs and she realised just how much damage she had begun to take from this battle. Her muscles were starting to ache from the build up of acid, overused and now struggling under the demands she was forcing upon herself. Her mind was stronger, it still willed her to carry on. Uub was her grandfather's student, she had to see for herself just how she compared to him and why her grandfather may have chosen to train this young man up instead of her.

"Pan has recovered and has taken to the skies!" The announcer shouted with excitement.

Uub watched as his opponent disappeared higher and higher into the sky, intrigued by her movements but also pleased to see she seemed to have her family's sense of resilience and determination. He made no move to follow her and instead watched with interest. Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure what she was planning to do!

'_I'll have to be careful with this one,'_ Pan told herself as she halted in mid-air. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled her hands to her side, cupping her palms together in a form Uub was well accustomed to.

Uub blinked in surprise, a little disappointed but also concerned for what he assumed Pan was about to do. He easily recognised the stance she had as the Kamehameha – the signature move of the Kame School as well as that of his master. It was a move he knew very well. _'Is she serious? She really wants to try that against me of all people?'_

"Uub, you'd better be prepared for this one!" Pan shouted down from the skies above, not really certain Uub – or anyone else – would hear her over the howling winds! "Ka... Me... Ha... Me..."

"You really sure you wanna fire that down here?" Uub's voice was barely audible but it reached Pan's ears. "I can easily handle any Kamehameha you throw at me but what about the crowds? If you fire that down towards me, you'll be putting them all at risk!"

"Well you'll have to make sure the crowds don't get hurt!" Pan bellowed back. She was just as aware as Uub the risk she was taking and it didn't sit well in her stomach to take the risk she was about to take.

'_What did she say?!'_ Gohan started to grow concerned, tempted to rise out of his seat and tell Pan to call off her attack. His curiosity and belief in his daughter's judgement kept him seated and instead he watched with his heart thumping in his ribs, as did the rest of their family and friends seated in the stalls.

"She's willing to let these people get hurt?" Uub was just as shocked as Gohan and many of the others. Was he hearing this right; was his master's granddaughter going against the nature of her family by putting other people in danger? No, that couldn't be right! Yet here she was seconds away from launching that Kamehameha straight for the stadium! Uub couldn't work it out; was this all a bluff? Was she deliberately taking such a risk in the hope Uub would take the attack head-on? Did she have something up her sleeve he wasn't aware of? There were too many possibilities and not enough time to make a call on which was most likely!

"HAAA!" Pan screamed, throwing her hands outwards.

The entire area was lit in blue as her Kamehameha shot down towards the arena. Panic grabbed the crowds and the stadiums were suddenly full of stampeding spectators trying to flee for their lives.

"You idiot!" Uub yelled in disgust, forced to quickly throw both his hands forwards and fire off his own ki blast. The yellow beam omitting from Uub's hands quickly collided in mid-air with Pan's Kamehameha and it didn't take long before the yellow attack overpowered the other, sending both beams of ki straight for outer space with a terrific roar and strong gusts of wind. The shockwaves and suction from Uub's attack ripped many people off their feet and sent some several metres across the stands, colliding with stairs, chairs and other people!

Uub hadn't been negligent. He had noticed how easily the Kamehameha had given way to his own attack. There was a plan after all.

Pan stood directly behind Uub, swinging one leg to his head. The hit did not land where it was intended; Uub instead grabbed hold of Pan's leg and smiled at her. Pan's face dropped as soon as Uub had turned to make a grab for her; he'd seen the attack coming! She'd moved as fast as she could and still that hadn't been enough?

"Nice try, that was a little reckless of you though Pan." With a yell Uub threw his speechless opponent over his shoulder and straight into the tiles below, displacing many fragments of broken flooring and engulfing Pan in a cloud of dust and debris.

"Folks you may return back to your seats!" The announcer ushered, "That was a close call but Uub stopped the Kamehameha wave in time with his own attack and is now on the offensive! What an exciting battle this is!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 009 – The Finals**

Pan's head struck the ground hard as Uub threw her down once again, tiles and dust shooting up several metres into the air around them and swallowing them up from the spectator's eyes. The severity of Pan's contact with the ground made many of the spectators shriek with horror and awe, some rising to their feet in a futile attempt to see through the dust.

"Pan!" Videl gasped fearful for her daughter's safety. Worriedly she turned to her husband, "Gohan, do you have any idea of how strong our daughter is compared to Uub?" She asked urgently.

"I can give a pretty good guess," Gohan answered with a little growl, waiting for his daughter to emerge from the debris. He was just as anxious as Videl to see their daughter safe and still conscious, his protective instincts kicking in. Both knew neither of them could interfere; their daughter would not die and she would not want them to interrupt the match until she was either knocked out or out-of-bounds. Gohan himself knew his daughter could take more than that but it didn't make it any easier seeing her be thrown about like this, regardless of how harmless her opponent would be if things got too bad.

"Considering what she's up against I'd say she's done pretty well, though I'm not so sure about that last stunt she pulled," Hairiyu muttered folding her arms. "She's running out of options and fast." Watching the fight was getting her riled up for some reason, she wasn't entirely sure what it was but assumed it had something to do with the sheer strength radiating from Uub. He had been nowhere near this strong since the last time they'd all seen him. What kind of training had Goku put him through?

"Poor Pan," Bra frowned disappointed. "She's a strong fighter too; why'd that Uub guy have to be so strong?"

Pan choked as she shakily got to her feet, fatigue starting to settle in. Much to her annoyance, Uub still didn't seem to be showing any signs of tiredness or strain and still seemed content to let his opponent sort herself out. It was starting to get on her nerves. Ignoring the pain still radiating from her head as well as that now flowing down the side of her body she'd struck the ground with, Pan defiantly faced her opponent and put up her defences.

"Your persistence and determination is commendable but you should know right now where you stand," Uub spoke. "I don't mean to put you off, really, but surely by now you realise what the outcome of this battle will be? What will you do? Will you throw in the towel as your uncle did against Buu or will you rather be knocked out from the ring than admit defeat? I realise the latter seems more common in your family from what your grandfather tells me."

Pan wrinkled her nose in annoyance, "I may know how this battle will turn out but who are you to tell me what my options are? You may have trained with my grandpa but you know nothing about my family!"

"On the contrary, I know plenty about your family," Uub replied indifferent. "For example, I know your father's techniques and capabilities and about his hidden powers. I know your uncle can perform the fusion technique with his friend Trunks. I know that your grandfather fought many great battles against opponents here on Earth, in outer space, and in the afterlife. I know your family's fighting style like the back of my hand. I know from my limited observations of watching you fight that if you were to launch an attack right now you'd probably go for a kick rather than a punch, or perhaps you'd go for a slap."

Pan tried to ignore the twinge of aggravation slowly growing inside of her but could feel herself crumbling under the pressure. How dare he!

"How about I end this?" Uub suggested, practically oblivious to the offence he was causing!

Pan gasped and ducked under Uub's punch, shocked at how quickly he'd appeared in front of her. She was suddenly thrown to the side as his leg swept itself under her footing. One of his hands extended out and charged up an energy attack inches from Pan's stomach. Pan had very little time to dodge but dodge by the skin of her teeth she did, jumping back onto her feet after rolling across the floor several times. Before she knew it Uub was in her face; one powerful palm struck the girl in the ribs and she shot backwards through the air, striking her back against the advertising panels on the edge of the arena before crashing onto her butt on the grass.

"O-Out-of-bounds! Pan has been pushed clear from the ring!" The announcer shouted down the microphone. "That means Uub will be heading to the finals!"

The crowds didn't quite roar loudly, though they had been very spoilt by the match. Many had expected the granddaughter of Mr Satan to have progressed further so the result was an upset to most. Still they could not deny her opponent had been someone rather special and slowly the roars grew louder.

Pan coughed several more times, gently massaging the back of her head before a hand rested on her shoulder. One eye opened to see Chuka and Goten were approaching her; Uub helping her back onto her feet with one hand. "Sorry about that, I hadn't meant to have used so much energy in that one! Guess I got a little too carried away. Are you alright?" He asked.

"Pan! Are you badly injured?" Chuka rushed up worried. "That was a pretty tough fight. Your uncle's mad at you though."

"I'm ok," Pan replied, raising an eyebrow in confusion at the last comment. "... What did I do wrong?"

"You transformed," Goten responded earning a sharp gasp from his niece who immediately cancelled her Super Saiyan form as she recalled the conversation the two of them had the previous night! Strangely a smile had reappeared on Goten's face. "... That was a pretty good battle though. Your grandpa would be proud of you, no doubt! I guess we can overlook your rule-breaking!"

"Do you need a stretcher?" The announcer quickly trotted over to the small group, microphone held away from his face for the time being to keep the conversation private from spectators' ears.

"Nope, I'll be fine," Pan shook her head and gave a brave smile, though truth was she was a little embarrassed and upset she'd lost the match. She'd hoped to have been able to get to the finals so she could at least fight against Buu! Then again losing to Uub wasn't something to be ashamed of; rather him than anyone else!

"We should clear the area for the next match," Goten suggested. "Chuka, you might as well stay out here."

"Oh... You're in this match!" Pan gasped with excitement. "You're so lucky Chuka, you get to fight Buu!"

Chuka's eyes widened with horror as the realisation of who her opponent was struck her like a sharp knife through soggy paper, leaving her almost too petrified to move. Her voice suddenly vanished into a squeak as she tried to speak coherently! "Buh-B-B-Buh-wuh-Buuuu?" She spluttered in a high pitched voice! "N-No. No, no, no! No! N-No wu-wuh-way!"

"Good luck!" Pan called oblivious to her friend's horror as she trotted behind her uncle and Uub back to the waiting area. "You'll be fine!"

"No I won't!" Chuka bellowed flabbergasted she'd even suggest such a moronic thing! This was Buu they were talking about! If Chuka had any chance of pulling this off, it would be when Hell froze over!

"Ladies and gentlemen, we shall move onto the next match of the semi finals!" The announcer spoke once more over the speaker system. "Mr Buu will face off against Chuka! Can both contestants please step into the arena ring?"

"Oh man... Chuka's gonna be cacking herself down there..." Soba said nervously feeling incredibly worried about his daughter, both Inari and Shio both looking at him in puzzlement.

"Daddy, what does cacking mean?" Shio asked, though he was not answered.

"That's what she gets for not training!" Vegeta folded his arms indifferently. "It's a waste of talent!"

Hairiyu sent a small glare over to her father, "Oh? Well I don't see anyone offering to train her? You know I have work to do, so if you're so concerned, by all means, train her! Oh wait, I forgot - you petrify her! Maybe someone else should train her? Someone who has absolutely nothing else to do! Oh, wait... No one else in our family does that!" She folded her arms in a huff much to the amusement of her husband and close friends. On the other hand, it had intrigued her Vegeta'd even mentioned the word 'talent' in that sentence, considering he'd always let it be known how weak and disappointing his eldest child's offspring were as far as fighting skills went! Hairiyu took a sigh and looked down upon her daughter who was slowly making her way onto the stage. _'Be brave Chuka. We both know you're hating this right now but be strong.'_

"Chuka's still scared of Papa?" Bra giggled pitying her niece a little. "What a wimp! She's scared of everything!"

"I hope Buu goes easy on her," Chichi groaned worried. "Poor Chuka... Why'd you let her enter?"

"It wasn't really a case of letting her enter, more a case of persuading her to enter," Hairiyu scratched her cheek sheepishly. "Chuka's not that interested in fighting..."

"How you managed to convince her I don't know!" Soba chuckled. "I guess we should cheer her on."

"I didn't manage to convince her, Pan did!" Hairiyu responded. "Chuka'll do whatever Pan asks her to do; that's their friendship for you!"

"Go sis!" Shio shouted at the top of his lungs. "Beat Mr Buu!"

Down on the ring below, both Buu and Chuka had taken their places and were awaiting the start of the match. The drums started though Chuka's heart sounded louder and faster in her ears. She could feel her body flooding with adrenaline, too scared to shout out and forfeit but too scared to fight! Buu was one of the scariest fighters of them all, he was so tall and stout and looked very, very heavy! None of her normal attacks surely would work on him, surely she'd bounce off of him? What else could she do against him? She knew energy attacks would be far too dangerous to use in such a confined space with so many people here!

The gong was struck, shocking Chuka and finally getting a noise to come from her throat, albeit it was a scream!

"Let the match begin!" The announcer shouted.

'_Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me!'_ Chuka flinched and clamped her eyes tightly shut, preparing herself for any hit Buu would make...

Nothing happened.

Still nothing had happened.

Why was nothing happening? She didn't understand.

... What was he doing?

Chuka opened one eye cautiously, stunned to see Buu hadn't moved an inch! Buu seemed to be a little confused himself by his opponent's behaviour; then again even he seemed to be aware of the fact Chuka didn't take a liking to sparring that often!

"... Um... The match has started..." The announcer spluttered over the microphone. "Come on guys!"

Chuka didn't know whether Buu was waiting for her to make the first move or whether he was trying to catch her out by making her think he wasn't going to charge, then suddenly charge in and catch her off-guard! She was too engrossed in her own terrified thoughts to hear the disappointed murmurs of the crowds, some who started to boo with frustration.

Buu decided to make the first move and started to walk towards Chuka who now seemed to be stuck to the spot, spotting the Majin now stomping over towards her. Her entire body had once again frozen with fear and before she knew it, Buu was towering over her, he was easily five times her own height! Slowly Chuka managed to tilt her head back and look up at the large shadow Buu was making over her. Buu's large hands moved and grabbed Chuka gently under her arms, lifting her several feet into the air so she was level with Buu's face. He walked to the edge of the arena, Chuka still as rigid as a statue despite being fully aware of what was going on.

"Come on Chuka!" Pan called loudly. "Fight him off! Don't be scared of him!"

Buu gently dropped Chuka onto the grass, the girl bouncing on her feet and falling to her knees.

No one could quite believe what they had seen!

"Uh... Chuka is out-of-bounds... Mr Buu has won the match with just one move..." The announcer spoke, feeling the match had been anticlimactic to say the least!

Up in the stands, most people were hissing a little at the lack of entertainment the last match had provided them, though most were commenting on how poorly Chuka must have felt and how wonderful it was of Mr Satan's protégé to have treated her so gently and simply placed her out-of-bounds without hurting her.

Hairiyu and Soba's eyes could not have been wider. With a sigh and a small slap to the face Hairiyu sat back and rolled her head back. "... And here I thought she would at least try... Poor girl..."

"W-Well at least Buu didn't hurt her," Soba felt exasperated watching the entire ordeal. "That way she can't be any more scared of him!"

"Why'd Chuka go like a statue?" Shio asked a little disappointed his sister'd lost. "Bra's right, sis is a wimp, Mama. I'd have fought against Buu if I had to!"

"She's not a wimp," Hairiyu pouted a little annoyed. "She's just scared, that's all! Buu's a lot bigger and a lot stronger than her so it's ok for her to be scared of him! I'd have been scared too!"

"Yeah but I'd fight and not be scared like Chuka!" Shio responded defensively. "She didn't try at all!"

"Ok, that's enough," Soba growled.

Chuka was slowly coming to her senses, realising she was now on the grass. Without a word she rose to her feet and hurriedly rushed into the waiting area back to her waiting friends. Anger started to boil up inside her small body as she walked and by the time she'd finally come face-to-face with Pan, she was fuming! Whether it was out of embarrassment or disbelief in her performance she wasn't sure but Pan seemed a little oblivious to the magnitude of emotion boiling up inside of her!

"It's ok, Buu can be pretty scary too," Pan was saying. "You did ok!"

"What part of that was ok to you?!" Chuka screamed loudly. "I couldn't even move! He's terrifying! Why did I enter this stupid tournament anyway? Why did you and Mama try so hard to convince me and why do I always do what you say?!" She burst into tears and started to wail loudly.

"Uh... What?" Goten wasn't sure where the emotion had all come from or how to deal with it!

"Chuka's not good at dealing with being scared," Pan replied nervously. "She doesn't like it and then starts shouting at everyone and then cries. She'll calm down soon and then she'll be ok again."

"...And you're ok with her shouting at you? I'm surprised!" Goten chuckled impressed with how calmly his niece was talking to him. "You of all people I would expect to shout back! You do have your mother and grandmother's temper!"

"I wouldn't want to awaken the beast even more," Pan replied quietly with a worried grin.

"Ok, ladies and gentlemen, there will be a ten-minute break before the final match begins!" The announcer's voice called over the speaker system. "Apprentice will battle against Mr Buu – the current runner-up – and one of them will be fighting Mr Satan for the title of Tenkaichi Budokai champion! We'll see you in ten!"

Goten saw his chance and quickly trotted over to where Uub had chosen to sit himself. "Hey Uub, be honest. Is it just you here or is dad also here?" Goten asked quietly; Pan was currently distracted and trying to calm Chuka down so he figured now was the best time to ask.

"No, I'm afraid not," Uub shook his head. "He wasn't able to make it."

Goten frowned and nodded in silence. He wasn't looking forward to telling Pan that her grandfather wasn't here. She'd been so certain he would show up... He had little idea that Pan had already asked Uub the same question and already knew her grandfather was not here. The truth was no one knew that Goku was currently sitting beside Mr Satan watching the matches from a nearby building!

* * *

The ten minute mark soon passed, the crowds returning to their seats in anticipation for the final match. The victor of this match would face off against the current world champion Mr Satan, who himself was having to prepare for his oncoming match. The reigning world champion was beginning to grow nervous. If Buu lost, would that mean he would be defeated today or had Goku pre-warned his student on what to do in this situation?

"Uh... G-Goku..." The man spluttered a little worried to ask. "... If Uub manages to beat Buu... How screwed am I gonna be?"

"Don't worry, I told him to let you win if he ever made it to the finals," Goku chuckled, Mr Satan sighing in relief to hear this.

"It's time for the final match to begin!" The announcer's voice came over the television. "Could contestants Apprentice and Mr Buu please make their way to the stage?"

On screen and in the ring not too far from Mr Satan's private room, both contestants were walking up the path and taking their places for the final match. Uub had decided that hiding his identity was no longer a priority and so hadn't bothered to put his balaclava or his cloak back on. He walked alongside the taller tubby Majin. Finally Uub's nerves had started to take control, finally he felt nervous before a match. He'd been told by Goku how strong an opponent Buu would be and that he'd have to observe him carefully during the matches. Unfortunately for Uub the only match worth observing had been Buu and Goten's match and even then he knew very little about Buu's capabilities. He knew he could regenerate, he knew he was fast to learn other's attacks. He knew he had a fantastic endurance thanks to his rubber-like body and could come back from almost any attack.

The announcer set the scene, his words not taken in by either competitor as they were left to their own thoughts. The crowds watched eager for the match to start, including Gohan's group who were murmuring to themselves not paying too much attention to the announcer.

"This'll be a great match," Krillin smiled eagerly, "Goku's student fighting off against Majin Buu! Better yet, the former Kid Buu against the good Buu."

"I hope the stadium and the ring can stand the pressure," Gohan wasn't so excited, more concerned than anything. "Both of those guys could really do some damage if they let loose too much!"

"Let's just hope your dad's taught Uub better than that," Hairiyu replied.

The drum-roll began, each beat gradually speeding up as the tension rose higher and higher, both fighters putting up their defences ready for the match to begin.

"Fighters let the finals begin!" The announcer declared.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 010 – Uub vs. Buu**

The world spun around them turning to a blur of colours as both fighters charged forward. Uub met Buu in the centre of the ring through rapid movement none of the crowd could see, save those who'd been trained to spot such fast movement. All that was visibly seen and heard was a terrific flash and an equally terrific clap of thunder, confusing the crowds as there were no storm clouds present in the late afternoon sky! Both fighters were giving it a fairly decent go though neither wanted to cause any unnecessary damage to the stadium so were deliberately holding back. Uub was impressed and surprised to see how fast and nimble Buu was despite his stocky build; his mentor had taught him well and Buu was indeed worthy of every bit of praise Goku'd had for him.

One flying pink arm jolted forwards and stuck against Uub's defensive arm block; the hit stinging and almost knocking his defence down. Another strong fist barely missed the top of Uub's head, slicing clean through a couple of strands of hair. Uub's knee made contact with Buu's knee, his fist denied by his arm. The force of the fighters' attacks shook the stadium every time they connected, the crowds now spotting the barely visible fighters duelling it out high above them, many mumbling to themselves.

"Mr Buu's giving Uub a hard time," Pan mumbled craning her neck as best she could to see the fighters up above.

"Don't count Uub out yet," Goten responded. "I'm sure dad taught him about Buu's fighting technique and his abilities. This match could go either way right now."

The clashes grew stronger and stronger, the ground beginning to shudder gradually becoming more violent despite both warriors floating higher and higher into the air, both unleashing more and more power. Uub was slowly breaking through Buu's defences, finally striking the Majin clean in the cheek with an elbow. Uub charged in and repeatedly threw his fists into Buu's stomach before flipping head over heels and delivering a powerful double-handed hit to the skull. Buu tumbled a few hundred metres back towards the floor, halting inches from the tiled stage.

"Master Goku was right, physical attacks don't seem to do much damage against him," Uub muttered to himself. "I can wind him but not much else if I keep this one up... Alright then..."

"Th-This is incredible!" The announcer cried down the microphone loudly. "Apprentice and Mr Buu are sensational! It's been many years since I've seen a fight so fantastic and fast-paced!"

Uub teleported down towards the arena with incredible speed, his opponent staying stuck to the spot as he rose back to an upright position, seemingly unprepared for Uub's charge. With one arm drawn back, Uub charged up a ki blast and fired it down directly for Buu, who merely turned and slapped the blast back to the sky with his head antenna, sending it shooting up into the skies. Uub took his chance, teleporting around the Majin and slamming a well-placed boot into Buu's spine. Buu wasn't down, neither did he stumble any more than a couple of paces.

Uub's smile faded as he realised he was unable to remove his foot which was now buried deep in Buu's back. Even when using more force to pull, he felt as if Buu's body was acting like quicksand; the more he struggled the tighter Buu's grip got. Then to his horror Buu's body began to expand, sucking Uub's leg deeper and deeper into his body! Uub didn't quite know what to make of it!

"Whoa! It looks like Mr Buu has caught Uub in some sort of weird and unheard of hold! Uub doesn't seem to be able to break free!" The announcer shouted with enthusiasm riling up the crowds.

"Buu's getting serious now," Goten gulped shuddering a little. Seeing Uub being pulled in like this reminded him of the time his father fought this Buu as a Super Saiyan 3: this type of technique almost suffocated his father until Goku'd managed to finally free himself with a burst of ki. Would Uub know what to do in this situation?

Despite his best struggles Uub was finding himself now waist-deep trapped in Buu's inflating skin – and still he was being tugged inside! _'What do I do? I can't free myself physically! He'll just crush me if I don't do anything!'_ Panic was attempting to override the inner voice calling for calm, every second that passed made it stronger and soon Uub was succumbing to it. He'd be crushed, suffocated!

"Do you think Buu will... kill Uub?" Bra asked nervously.

"I hope not... not on purpose anyway." Gohan responded just as concerned about Uub's fate. It wasn't just Uub being accidentally killed he was worried about; it was his daughters' reactions to seeing such a scene, particularly Inari's reaction.

"Of course he won't." Vegeta snorted concentrating on the battle before them, interested to see what his fellow rival Saiyan's student would do next. He was Kakarrot's pupil; surely he'd be well prepared thanks to his teacher's experience and knowledge on Buu? "Watch, you'll see what will happen." He muttered.

Buu started to notice a small but strong amount of pressure forming in the depths of his stomach, no longer able to see Uub who'd disappeared behind his bulging body. Uub's ki then surged dramatically. Buu screamed as his body was suddenly ripped to shreds and erupted in a fantastic kiai, Uub firing off the invisible force from his entire body. Fragments of Buu barely survived the strike, all landing upon the stage in a stroke of luck. Uub stumbled to his feet shaky from the adrenaline and force of his ki being expelled. Quickly he brushed off the fatigue and wiped his brow, cautiously watching the small blobs of Buu dotted around him.

There were horrified shrieks from the crowds, many of whom were children. Parents acted to protect their children from the sight though some children found this rather annoying more than anything! Most of the adults were shaken from the sight of Buu's body being spread across the arena floor, all suspecting an immediate disqualification and a potential murder inquiry!

It was the first time any of the new generation had seen something so gruesome and some were taking it better than others! Inari was naturally terrified and refusing to look burrowing her face in her mother's neck; Shio found the whole thing scary to look at yet he could not draw his eyes away; Bra had known such things were possible but still found it a little disturbing.

"It's alright, Inari," Videl was comforting her sobbing daughter. "It's ok, Mr Buu will reappear... right?" She glanced to the others around her, receiving several confident nods.

"It'll take much more than that to kill Buu," Hairiyu shuddered, remembering all the battles she'd witnessed watching this former monster regenerate from literally nothing. So many times she and her friends and family had tried to vanquish the beast and so many times they'd failed. Not even a self-detonating explosion from her father – as a Super Saiyan 2 no less – had been enough to kill the monster. Buu had regenerated and even healed Babidi before going on to continue his onslaught! She along with a few others were almost certain there was nothing Uub could do with his current power to kill Buu.

Down in the waiting area, Chuka was shaking with fear now growing afraid of Uub's powers, whilst Pan knew what was going to happen but nevertheless found it hard to watch. She felt a hand on her shoulder; her uncle's hand gripping down a little on her.

"This is why Buu is such a formidable opponent. You'll see," Goten warned.

"... I-I don't believe it!" The announcer screamed baffled and horrified, slowly frowning as the realisation dawned on him. "... Well, that's it folks. Uub has completely destroyed his opponent... and so is dis-"

The tiny pink fragments suddenly lunged off the tiled floor and shot straight for Uub! He was given almost no time to react to the sudden movement let alone work out what to do: instinct kicked in more than anything else. With a flinch and uncontrollable magnitude of ki, Uub managed to shield himself just in time, though the Buu fragments were pressing hard on his energy field.

"What's going on?! I don't understand any of this!" The announcer blabbered bewildered but not left short of words. "The remains of Buu seem to still be fighting and I don't understand how or why! I've never seen him do this before – ever! What kind of incredible powers does he have that neither you or I can't comprehend?"

The blotches of Buu's deteriorated body were pushing more and more force on their opponent's shield, Uub feeling the strain against his force-field. He had to do something and fast, his energy shield was shrinking with every second, soon he would once again be engulfed within Buu and this time he wouldn't have any breathing space! _'I did it once, I can do it again!'_ With a low growl Uub began to focus his ki more and more, forcing his force-field to widen against Buu's own strength. It was a struggle but it seemed Uub had a slight upper hand.

He hadn't noticed the miniature Buu behind him inside his own force-field! The tiny Buu (literally a tiny version of himself) raised one clenched fist and swatted the unsuspecting Uub in the back of the head. Uub shot forward completely caught off-guard; his energy field failed and suddenly every single blob that had been forcing their way towards him was in fact now striking the tiny Buu! Uub landed with a thud, instinct kicked in once more and he rolled away as fast as he could until he was sure he was at a safe distance, though also making sure he was well away from the edge of the ring!

"B-Buu's body parts are somehow forming back together again!" The announcer bellowed down the microphone. "I have never in all my years as the head announcer and referee of the Tenkaichi Budokai seen anything quite as bizarre and fantastic as this!"

Uub rubbed the sore spot on his head gingerly, flinching a little at the memory. _'I hadn't even noticed him slip through my barrier. How did he manage to do that?'_

Buu's body was now a melting mould of himself. With a pop he suddenly sprang back to life, good as new!

"Incredible! Mr Buu has somehow put himself back together again!" The announcer cried enthusiastically. "Uub is still in the match and so is contestant Mr Buu! What an amazing final match this is turning out to be!"

Pan breathed a small sigh of relief, Goten affectionately messing her hair up much to her annoyance! "See, I told you he was a tough opponent!" Goten grinned. _'Rather he was on our side too!'_

"I knew he could do that, Uncle!" Pan growled sorting her hair back in place and sending him a look of distain.

On the stage, Uub was rising to his feet again, feeling his heart in his chest thumping. "That was a pretty terrifying experience..." He mumbled to himself.

"Buu was trying to turn back into Buu," Buu responded feeling he had to explain himself. "Buu caught between Uub's shield and Buu's rest of body; had to try and force all of Buu back together but Uub's shield was too strong to break, so Buu had to hit Uub."

"Oh, I see... Sorry about that, I thought you were trying to attack me still!" Uub apologised feeling slightly sheepish. He'd been certain Buu was launching some sort of bizarre and terrifying attack on him!

The match quickly continued; Buu jolting forwards. Uub found himself on the receiving end of a tough barrage of strikes, leaping back to dodge one of Buu's heavy-handed punches and landing several metres away, albeit a little too close to the edge of the ring as he'd have liked! Buu's fists suddenly shot straight for him, arms stretching several metres in length at such speed it almost caught Uub by surprise! The nimble fighter dodged Buu's punches, each missing fist drawn back and thrown forward once again in the blink of an eye; it was like trying to dodge bullets! Uub found himself hovering a few centimetres from the ring floor, determined not to lose his footing or become unable to recover in time. Buu's attacks were barely missing him now, getting faster and faster all the time.

With one strong flex of his legs against the tiles, Uub shot straight through Buu's barrage and high into the sky, quickly passing the tops of the stadium and flying higher into more open space. Buu followed hot on his opponent's heels, tearing up loose fragments of the tiled flooring as he did so. He could see Uub's arms being drawn back as he grew ever closer, taking his own hands back behind him and firing one arm straight for Uub once again stretching it to unbelievable lengths! Uub was ready and easily dodged spinning in a circle, throwing his own energy ball down towards Buu which struck on impact, Buu having little choice but to take the hit so as no one would get hurt.

Uub continued to fire off energy attacks, all which were hitting Buu and slowly whittling down his ki much to the shock of those in the stands that could sense ki signals.

"Buu's power level is falling..." Piccolo muttered jaw agape. "He's actually taking damage from Uub's attacks!"

"Is it because Uub technically used to be a Buu too?" Hairiyu asked uncertain her own theory even made sense!

"I'm not sure," Piccolo responded with a shake of his head. "It's hard to say; it could be because of the sheer magnitude of power Uub really has inside of him, it could be because of his former life and gaining most of Buu's abilities despite being limited by his human body."

"He's incredible..." Master Roshi muttered; his knuckles whitening as he held a tight grip on his staff which trembled against the ground. "The power coming from in that boy is astounding; Goku was nothing like this as a child. What has he done to this boy to make him so powerful he can stand up to Buu like this?"

Buu was vanishing quickly into a growing plume of dark smoke, energy balls still shooting straight for him through the smoke and striking their target, only serving to make the large cloud even larger!

"Folks I can't quite see what has become of contestant Mr Buu! He's surrounded by a growing cloud of what I imagine is either smoke or dust!" The announcer reported energetically. "Uub is really giving him a pounding! This may prove to be one of the most unpredictable matches of the entire Budokai ladies and gentlemen! Mr Satan's protégé may have just met his match in this young fighter from the southern islands!"

Several members of Buu's official fanclub were ripping their programmes apart screaming for him to dominate his opponent as he had done with all the rest so far, none thrilled to see the Majin losing the battle. Far more of the crowds were cheering both fighters on, enthralled by the exciting match even if they didn't understand or comprehend how either contestant was flying and fighting in the air, or how they were firing off these bizarre balls of light, or how Buu's limbs were so stretchy and how he had exploded and then come back to life! So many questions that needed to be answered as they defied all logic, yet for now everyone was far too preoccupied with the excitement going on hundreds of metres above their heads!

The plume of smoke grew larger still, Uub now barely hovering on the edge of it. He stopped his onslaught, finally succumbing to fatigue. He could sense his opponent deep within the cloud, knowing he was more than ok but noticing he had taken a fair hit from his attack. This brought a proud smile to his face; Uub remembered being told by his master that Buu was not easy to damage and a lot harder to damage enough so his ki would actually drop! He was a fantastically resilient warrior and a dangerous foe but with this knowledge, Uub had hope on how the outcome could turn out. But he would not count Buu out yet. He knew Buu had some far more bizarre powers under his repertoire.

As expected, Buu emerged from the thinning dark cloud practically unscathed, though he too seemed a little tired from having to endure so much. There were a few noticeable holes in him but very quickly they were filled in as the Majin once again regenerated himself. A smile appeared on the pudgy warrior's face. "Uub is strong... but Buu will not lose to you. Buu must win so Mr Satan can be champion again, or does Uub know about deal?"

"My master Goku told me about what to do if I managed to get to fight him," Uub nodded. "Don't worry Buu, if I win this match I can promise you I'll be losing the next... And I do plan to win this if I can."

"Buu plans to win too," Buu responded putting his hands above his head. "Uub makes a good opponent but is not good enough yet to win or beat Buu."

"I know it's going to take probably all I have and more to win this through a knock-out, so I'll just have to somehow try and knock you out-of-bounds!" Uub put up his guard once more.

In a flash it had started once again. There was a terrific clap of thunder and a barely-visible shockwave high in the air where the two dots were hanging was spotted before a couple of seconds later, the ground shuddered under the stands worrying some of the spectators and also the World Champion! Mr Satan sat in his room on the edge of his seat, dreading the imminent moment where both competitors would use so much force they'd shatter the stadium stands and risk the spectators' lives! His guest on the other hand sat with a pleased smile on his face, ever calm and ever relaxed!

"They're both doing really well to keep their ki in check," Goku mused excited about the match. "Watching this is giving me goosebumps! It's such an amazing line-up and both fighters are phenomenal!"

"At this rate I won't even have a match to fight in!" Mr Satan wailed. "They'll destroy the ring before I ever get out there!"

"Nah you worry too much, it'll be fine," Goku smiled reassuringly, though it wasn't like Mr Satan would have noticed it as he had not turned away from his television! "Buu and Uub are both too good not to be cautious about the spectators. You'll have a match to fight after this!"

"D-Do you think Buu or Uub is gonna win this?" Mr Satan asked not daring to take his eyes off the screen in case something dreadful happened!

"Hard to say," Goku responded. "Uub's got the sheer power but Buu's got the resilience. If I had to choose off the top of my head, I'd say Buu would win but who knows, maybe my student will find some sort of weakness in Buu that neither you nor I know about!"


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 011 – Mr Satan's Opponent**

The crowds were cheering and goading on the two fighters who continued to duel it out several hundred metres above the ground, barely visible to the naked eye. It wasn't clear to those who could not sense ki which fighter was winning and who was taking damage but to those who could sense energy signals, it was a spectacular and terrifying ordeal. Uub was holding his own and managing to deal damage to Buu, though Buu's stamina seemed to be a lot better than that of his opponent. Uub's strikes were losing power; he was getting fatigued. At the same time, both fighter's bizarre abilities to learn to fight their foe whilst fighting had kicked in. Unfortunately it meant for a frustrating battle in which both were keeping up with the other, learning the other's techniques and blocking them at every turn! Strikes were soon turning into blocks and parries, frustrating not only the competitors but also the crowds!

"He's getting to know Buu's fighting style," Piccolo realised. "Uub's managing to dodge more and more of Buu's attacks but Buu's doing the same to his opponent. It's amazing how they both share similar abilities. The outcome of this fight will probably be determined by their endurance."

"I think we all know how that'll end," Krillin responded cynically. "Unless Uub gets a decent shot in at Buu, I'd bet my money on Buu. The guy's practically indestructible, even with Uub's power I doubt he'd manage to put too much of a dent in Buu..."

One of the figures suddenly plummeted rapidly towards the ground. It was difficult to tell who it was with the naked eye, they were moving far too fast and in the blink of an eye they'd crashed straight into the centre of the tiled arena. A fantastic tower of dust was thrown up into the centre of the stadium, many horrified onlookers rising in their seats trying to get a look at whom it was who'd fallen, tensions high as the terrific fight once again came to a deadly halt.

"Oh! One of the competitors has taken a heavy crash to the floor!" The announcer screamed down the microphone. "I can't tell who it was... or whether he's still... alive..."

Apparently Buu had taken a heavy blow and young Uub still remained high above the stadium. None of the spectators besides those with sharp eyes could see the tiredness he was now under, shoulders hunching in a particular rhythm signalling his lack of breath. He was passed his optimum now and could feel the strain starting to dull his limbs, arms growing heavier as if they were slowly filling with lead. Still he had his master's drive to never give in no matter what the odds, though right now perhaps he was not fully understanding what that truly meant, being a contestant in a tournament and not in the midst of a life-threatening battle. His opponent was still lost amongst the thick column of smoke and dust still rising from the point he'd impacted the ring.

No doubt he would not be down for long. This was Buu he was talking about; he was a terrifying opponent to face. Uub felt now he could contemplate just how the others must have felt fighting him all those years ago. What was it now... sixteen years ago?

The change in colour of the smoke below caught Uub by surprise, panicked more than anything as a ki ball shot rapidly up to him; Uub narrowly dodged as his instincts kicked in. Eyes quickly darted back down to below him; indeed several more ki balls suddenly appeared bolting directly for him at a terrifying pace. Uub did his best to dodge rather than deflect, not wanting any wayward deflections to head back down to the ground. Buu seemed to have full control of the attacks, not risking a homing-type ki ball apparently as once they passed Uub they shot into space, never to be seen again.

"It looks as if whoever hit the ground is still well and truly alive!" The announcer cried taking several steps back from the ring, a little terrified of being so close to the balls of light shooting skywards! "I think it's contestant Buu firing these balls of light as it looks like Apprentice is the one dodging judging by the slimmer and smaller figure I see!"

Uub was finding himself growing closer and closer to being stricken from the sky; the ki blasts were still coming up to him at a terrifying pace and he was losing stamina fast! It was only a matter of time! No, he couldn't think like that; his master would be disappointed in him! He had to keep fighting on! _'You can do this! Don't give in; where there's a will there's a way!'_

The pep-talk cost him a fraction of focus as a ki ball successfully struck him in the abdomen, exploding and bouncing Uub up a couple of feet. From then on it was a barrage of explosions littering his entire body, pushing him about roughly as all of Buu's attacks started to strike. Uub found himself unable to escape the bombardment; each strike followed the next at too fast a pace for him to keep up. Each hit struck and seemed to be followed immediately by several more at the same time, his body ravaged by the onslaught crying out in pain almost numbing him.

Then the cool breeze slowly passed through his hair. Uub could feel himself freefalling through the sky heading back towards the ground. One eye opened-

Buu's hand was inches from his face; his body still far, far down below yet his arm had expanded and breached the hundreds of metres gap between them! Instinct fired up and Uub attempted to shift to the left. He wasn't fast enough. Buu's thick pink hand clasped tightly around his face and swung down forcing Uub to fall through the air at a dangerous pace. The human was unable to break free from his grip and could feel the g-forces pressurising his body further until suddenly everything around him vanished; all sense of feeling suddenly left him.

He found himself within a dark void full of nothing. He couldn't see anything, he couldn't hear anything and he couldn't smell or feel anything...

The strike had taken it all out of him as he'd made contact with the ground, Buu sending him battering through the grass and creating a small crater beside the ring. As he'd thrown his opponent towards the ground Buu had appeared from the crater in the centre of the ring, practically unscathed albeit looking a little fatigued. His attack had silenced a lot of the spectators, many of whom assumed Apprentice was no longer in the land of the living. Reserved murmurs quickly flooded the stands as some officials cautiously rushed over towards Uub.

"Apprentice is currently out-of-bounds ladies and gentlemen," The announcer started off shakily, sceptical about the wellbeing of the floored fighter. He'd seen contestants rise from injuries just as bad and figured Apprentice could be one of those that would rise and brush it off as if it were nothing... but there was that voice in the back of his mind confirming his worst fears. Had Mr Buu gone too far? Was his opponent dead as he feared? "... Let's just check on his condition... We all know the rules..."

"Do you...?" Chichi asked looking for some sort of sign from those who could sense energy.

"I can't tell," Videl frowned concerned, gently grasping hold of her daughter's hand; Inari was staring wide-eyed and pale-skinned looking down at the arena below them. For what felt like the millionth time today, she was staring down at someone she was certain was dead!

"He's fine," Piccolo responded. "Buu might have just knocked him out, that's all."

"He put up a fantastic fight against Buu," Master Roshi noted, stroking his beard with an approving nod. "He really is Goku's student; he didn't give in. He has the same determination as his master does! Pity he also seems to have Goku's luck when it comes to winning the finals in a Tenkaichi Budokai... Maybe one day he'll win..."

"He's ok!" The announcer's voice came back to life with a large tint of relief. "Contestant Apprentice still has a pulse and he's still breathing! Victory goes to Mr Buu!"

The crowds cheered though many more applauded as several officials came out with a stretcher and carried Uub to the medical room, passing those still in the contestants waiting area.

"That must have really hurt," Chuka gulped feeling incredibly relieved Buu had not pulled such a move on her in her last match! "I hope he'll be ok!"

"It's a shame we forgot to bring some senzu beans, huh Uncle?" Pan looked up to Goten feeling a little bad for Uub's fate. "We could have given him one so he could see Buu and Grandpa Satan's match!"

"Yeah... He won't be missing much," Goten nodded keeping his eyes on Buu. "Let's just see how this match turns out."

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, there will be a ten minute break whilst Mr Satan prepares for his first and only match to defend his title!" The announcer's voice cut through on the loud system echoing through the entire Budokai grounds. "Please feel free to get yourself one of the many mouth-watering refreshments and snacks on sale! There will be a discount on cold drinks in the next ten minutes so don't miss out!"

* * *

"So, it's your turn now, Champ?" Goku smiled rising to his feet and stretching a little.

Mr Satan nodded but seemed more preoccupied worrying about Uub. "... Is Uub gonna be alright? I mean he did take a pretty hard knock because of Buu..."

"He'll be ok," Goku waved one hand with a cheerful smile, "He'll be back on his feet and raring to train even harder when he wakes up! Speaking of which, I'll be going now!"

"You're leaving? Are you gonna say goodbye to Gohan and the others quickly or is this gonna be another one of those times?" Mr Satan asked a little downhearted about the answer he expected.

"Unfortunately I think it's best I don't, not that I don't want to see them or anything. I just figured it'd be a fleeting moment and everyone'd be sad I'd be leaving so quickly after finally seeing them again," Goku responded sounding a little remorseful, much to Mr Satan's appreciation (at least he knew Goku did feel something towards his family!). "Besides, I know what the first thing Uub will do when he comes to. He'll come to track me down for more training; it wouldn't be right if he then realised I was here at the tournament so I'd better get moving."

Mr Satan nodded understanding, though he may not have agreed with it. "You're a strange one, Goku... But I guess you know best..."

"Please don't tell Chichi or the others I was here," Goku added a little nervously. "If she found out then that would really cause a mess! It's better they don't know."

"Right," Mr Satan agreed. "I won't tell a soul!"

Goku smiled as a sign of thanks before putting two fingers to his forehead. "See ya later then, Champ! Good luck against Buu!" With that he suddenly vanished, to where Mr Satan wasn't sure. All he knew was Goku was nowhere in sight. For a moment he contemplated the monstrous task of not letting it slip he'd been visited by the seasoned warrior but then he reminded himself he'd kept far bigger secrets from everyone before; the defeat against Cell and Buu being two major ones! He could keep a small secret like this, right?

After breathing a small sigh to compose himself, he wandered over to the table and took a drink of the water he'd prepared for himself. Placing the glass back onto the table, he exhaled again and wandered out of his room ready to face Buu.

At least this was one match he knew would turn out well for him.

As he walked down the quiet corridors (quiet because he'd insisted no fans or paparazzi should be allowed in the same area of the building as he, just for the sake of some privacy) he contemplated the task he was asking Buu to perform. It hadn't been the first time guilt had crossed his mind. Poor Buu was having to deliberately make a fool of himself just to let himself save face for his fans. Was it right to keep asking Buu to do this? Should he just concede defeat for the first time and let Buu take the title? Was it time to let go?

'_... Perhaps not this time... Buu will have his moment of glory,'_ The moustached man told himself, giving a small wave to the officials who'd been guarding his corridor as he passed them. He set out of the building into the warm sunset that was now passing over the tournament grounds. Almost immediately a swarm of bright flashes and a bombardment of questions suddenly surrounded him; reporters and paparazzi desperate to get that great shot or perfect interview with the champ. As usual he played up to their wishes, striking a couple of poses and answering a couple of questions as he strode down the main pathway towards the competitor's suite. As soon as he passed through the large archway separating the public from the contestants the reporters were denied access, forced to get shots of the man as he left them behind.

Passing through the main corridors and through the large outer waiting area where the contestants had drawn their slots, he finally entered the waiting room where many of the contestants still remained, hearing the roar of the crowds grow progressively louder and louder. His appearance had not gone unnoticed as several of the remaining participants shyly went about their business trying not to be overwhelmed by the champion's aura.

"Grandpa Satan!" Pan gasped pleased to see the man, rushing up to him and grabbing him by the belt in a hug. "You're finally here! Hey, did you see our matches?"

"Hi there my little Pan!" Mr Satan beamed down at his sparkly-eyed granddaughter and affectionately hugged her back. "I saw all of your matches! You all did an amazing job! Too bad about your losses but I guess Buu's just too good an opponent to beat! You did a fantastic job!"

"You're not kidding," Goten chuckled. "You're the one having to fight him now! Good luck, Champ!"

Mr Satan hesitated and nodded, noticing the resemblance between Goten and his father. Perhaps hiding this secret from his own family would prove to be tougher than he'd initially thought...

Buu approached his long-term friend with an ever-cheerful smile on his face; Chuka rushed to the other side of Goten in fear of the giant Majin!

"Mr Satan and Buu will fight next. Buu will do his best." Buu smiled and bowed politely as he'd been taught to.

"Right, I'm sure you will Buu," Mr Satan responded. "Let's give the crowds a good show."

"Alright ladies and gentlemen, the final match is finally upon us!" The announcer cried from outside. "The match which will decide who will be crowned World Champion of the Tenkaichi Budokai is now underway! The match which will determine whether the pupil or the master will have the honour of being known as number one under the sun! Let us give a deafening welcome to our two finalists; the fearsome protégé Mr Buu and his master and defending champion Mr Satan!"

The crowds had never been so loud, if that were possible. Despite the incredible battles they'd been treated to it seemed that nothing could make them cheer with any more pride and eagerness as the mere mention of their champion, Mr Satan. He and Buu were almost overwhelmed by the sheer support and enthusiasm the crowds were showing them as they made their way onto what was left of the staging area! There were large cracks where the pressure had weakened the outer sections of the slabs; other areas had given way to the heavy collisions which had occurred, most noticeably the gigantic crater in the centre where Buu had taken a tumble in the previous match.

High up in the roar of the crowds, Mr Satan's family and friends were joining in the cheering, minus Vegeta and Piccolo of course! Little Inari waved her hands wildly and attempted to stand upon her father's legs to get a better view, unable to see because most of the crowd were on their feet! "Papa, I can't see!" She protested eager to see her grandfather. With a small smile Gohan took his daughter under her arms and rose to his full height, sitting her on top of his shoulders. Inari smiled and latched onto his head, "Thank you, Papa!" She beamed. "I can see Gran'pa Satan now! Go gran'pa!"

"I can't see a thing!" Krillin protested with frustration.

"Would you really need to see? You know as well as I do how this is going to end!" Hairiyu giggled.

"This'll be boring..." Bra frowned. "I wish for once Buu would go all out against Mr Satan."

"Unfortunately that's not going to happen," Vegeta responded to his bored-looking daughter; unlike most of the people in the stands neither of them was trying to see the ring. "That fool does have his uses. It would be a problem if Buu were to win."

Mr Satan cautiously made his way across the ring, trying to avoid falling down the large crater Buu had caused earlier. Buu suddenly leapt above him straight over the gaping hole, landing safely on the other side of the arena leaving Mr Satan free to stand where he was. Both fell into fighting stances, waiting for the sound of the gong to begin their show for the ecstatic fans.

The sound reverberated though it was almost lost in the roar of the thousands upon thousands watching. Both fighters barely heard it; Buu charged forwards at a gentle pace allowing Mr Satan adequate time to prepare for the imminent strike. At the right time he threw one fist out, making out he was charging up power before slugging Buu in the face and sending him rolling across the ring floor, landing in a heap. The crowds cheers were deafening as Buu slowly rose to his feet, making out he'd been injured and clasping onto his cheek.

"Looks like Mr Buu has taken a damaging hit from our champion and his teacher!" The announcer bellowed as loudly as he could in a bid to be heard through the crowd's noise. "Will he be able to recover? I've seen him get back up from worse today after all!"

'_Mr Satan, how long do you want this fight to last?'_ Buu asked telepathically so as to keep their secret safe.

'_Uh... if this is working, try a few more hits Buu, then go for a ring-out or something,'_ Mr Satan responded, not too sure if his voice was getting through to Buu or not.

'_Ok. Buu's going to run to you and throw a punch with his left fist!'_ Buu seemed to recover and began to rush forwards, bringing his right fist back as he did so. Panic swept over Mr Satan as he realised what Buu had actually meant to say, too slow to dodge the right fist as it made contact with his jaw sending him shooting up several feet into the air! Buu was left a little confused but quickly put his powers into action, effectively letting Mr Satan land safely with a little telekinesis.

Mr Satan felt his body suddenly being controlled by another force and attempted to look as if he were in control, flipping forwards through the air and landing safely on his feet. His jaw throbbed but now was not the time to focus on that; he really had to remind Buu which side was left and which side was right after the match! One finger rose forward and he struck another pose, "Nice try there my protégé, but now it's time for the master to show you how it's really done!"

With that he made a running dash, jumping over the crater and lodging one kick into the top of Buu's skull. Buu feigned pain and collapsed to the floor, Mr Satan landing a meter away from him keeping his eyes close on his opponent. Would Buu give up now and end the match with a K.O?

Apparently not; Buu slowly rose to his feet rubbing his head. "Buu's teacher is still so much stronger than Buu is! Buu might not win this!"

The match was pitifully one-sided from then on. Mr Satan took a couple more hits and dodged several others but it was Buu who bore the brunt of blows, slowly falling backwards until finally he lost his footing and fell to the grass with a thud.

"Mr Buu is out-of-bounds!" The announcer declared enthusiastically, the crowds drowning out the rest of his shouts as Mr Satan was declared the winner. Naturally the champion played up to the crowds' cheers and struck several more poses before assisting his protégé back onto his feet. Buu attempted to feign some sort of injury as he and Mr Satan both bowed to their audience, the announcer still spinning off a lot of compliments to both fighters, marvelling at how the master was still the stronger of the two but perhaps someday the student would overtake his teacher.

From inside the athletes waiting area, Goten, Pan and Chuka weren't sure how to react. Quickly Pan started to play up to everyone else's expectations and cheered for her grandpa's victory, though she was fully aware the battle had been staged. Goten applauded along with Chuka and the other remaining athletes; personally he was relieved to see the Budokai was finally over though there was a small hint of disappointment floating around inside of him. No matter how much he'd have scoffed at anyone else for the suggestion, he felt a little disappointed he'd not been reunited with his father, just his pupil. He hadn't even come to support Uub and cheer him on. _'... Dad... Where were you?'_ He pondered sadly.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 012 – The Champion**

The crowds were slowly dispersing out of the grounds of the Budokai stadium. Goten wandered through them with Chuka and Pan in tow, heading for the small medical building just to check up on Uub's condition. It was easier said than done trying to make their way through the saturated crowds but eventually they passed into one of the private buildings, eventually finding their way into the medical wing of the building. It wasn't long before they came across their invalid; Uub was conscious and seemed pleasantly surprised to see them!

"Hey, how'd the finals go?" He asked eagerly, anticipating the answer before it was given. He had been bandaged up by the medical team; a few cuts to his arms and a few tight bandages around his head and abdomen. One of the medical team was still present and writing up Uub's medical notes; he seemed to be a little concerned judging by the worried look on his face, most likely because of the lack of broken bones despite the violence of his last match!

"My Grandpa Satan won," Pan answered. "He beat Buu with an out-of-bounds!"

"That's our world champion for you!" The medical official smiled, announcing he was eavesdropping on their conversation. "No one can beat him, not even his protégé, Mr Buu! It must have been a spectacular battle to witness! I wish I hadn't been cooped up in here – no offense young man!"

"None taken," Uub turned his attention to the man. "If it wasn't for you, I'd still need bandaging up, so thank you." He then focused back on the trio who'd come to visit him. "Please don't feel you need to wait for me to be discharged; I'm sure your families and friends are probably looking for you."

"It's no big deal, don't worry," Goten responded humbly, "Actually, I was going to ask if you could do something for me?"

"Sure..." Uub nodded a little unsure of what Goten could possibly ask from him.

"When you next see my father, tell him his family are all doing well and that Pan and I are still waiting for those sparring matches he owes us," Goten winked at his niece who grinned, recalling the many conversations she'd had with her uncle and grandfather Goku about sparring whenever they wanted to.

"Um, sure, I'll do my best to remind him..." Uub nodded with a sad smile, turning to look at his hands which were now clasping a little tighter to his bed covers. "... I'm sorry he hasn't come to visit... I feel like this is all my fault." It had bothered him for some time that his mentor's family were missing out on spending so much time with him because Goku was too busy training him up. Having Goten tell him to remind his mentor to drop by clearly showed the discomfort Goku's absence was having on his family.

"Don't blame yourself," Chuka frowned. "It's not your fault, Mr Uub."

"She's right," Pan agreed, her smile unwavering. "Grandpa Goku wanted to train you because he saw something special in you. You can't blame yourself for something my grandpa decides to do. He's got a one-track mind, right Uncle Goten?"

"Pretty much," Goten confirmed with a playful smirk. "My dad's always been like that; just before I was born he was killed in an epic battle. He could have been brought back to life with the Dragonballs – you know what they are, right?" Uub nodded saving Goten a long winded explanation, "Good. Well he chose not to come back because all the bad guys prior had been after him in some way, so he chose to protect the Earth. He sacrificed himself- and his family in one way – to do what he thought was best for this planet. He's doing the same here with you, so don't feel bad! That's just my dad being himself!"

Uub tried to force a smile but it didn't come out as convincingly as he'd hoped. "... I just wish he could still visit you all every so often, I feel really bad that none of you have seen him in over six years. I get to see my family so often yet he doesn't get the time to visit you all..." He did have more on his mind but felt it was better not to mention it. He'd noticed every time he'd brought it up with his tutor that Goku'd always seemed reluctant to return home briefly, and had wondered whether he even cared about his family or not. He wasn't going to cast doubts into his mentor's son's and granddaughter's minds; he wasn't that cruel.

"He'll visit when he visits," Goten shrugged his shoulders. "If it gets too bad, you could always let us know where you guys are and Pan and I can always pop over for a sparring match with you both?"

"That might not be such a bad idea," Uub smiled feeling a little more hope. "Sparring with people other than Master Goku would be something he'd approve of certainly; it's the entire reason he told me to enter the Budokai in the first place!"

"We'll be sure to come and visit you guys," Pan beamed. "I'd love to spar against you again, Uub! Next time I'll be a lot tougher and faster so you'd better be prepared!"

"I'd be honoured," Uub nodded.

The crowds were still piling out of the stadium at a snail's pace; many trying to leave at the same time whilst others were deliberately lingering around so as not to be caught in the main rush of traffic leaving the island.

"Where are they? I hate having to deal with crowds..." Bra muttered feeling fed up having to shuffle and barge her way through the swarms of people, most of whom were taller than her. "I thought they'd still be in the waiting area!"

"Guess they went off to find Mr Satan or something," Krillin mused, "They're still in the stadium grounds, I can sense Goten's ki."

"Well once Gohan, Videl and Inari get back from Mr Satan and Buu's private room, we'll find out if the others were there or not," Hairiyu sighed, growing cross with the sheer number of people surrounding them. "Ugh... I feel like no one here knows what personal space is!"

"Mama, I want an ice-cream," Shio called from on top of his father's shoulders. "Can I have an ice-cream?"

"Wait until we find the others, Shio," Soba told his son, much to Shio's disappointment.

"Gohan!" Chichi smiled as she spotted her eldest son and his family returning to the main group through the large swarms of people. "Did you find them?"

"Not a sign of them," Videl shook her head. "Father said he hadn't seen them since the end of the match. No luck on your end, then?"

"Not a sign of them anywhere," Soba responded with a frown. "... I hope they're not getting themselves into mischief."

"Where are my poor baby son and my sweet, eldest granddaughter?" Chichi wailed with worry and frustration. "I hope he's not gone off hitting on girls! Those city women can be pretty untrustworthy and crafty! Besides, I don't want my eldest granddaughter being exposed to that kind of behaviour!"

Both Videl and Hairiyu shot an offended look towards the aging woman at her quip about all women from city backgrounds but both also went unnoticed!

"Don't worry, Mother. We'll stick together and hope that whenever Goten and the girls have finished whatever they're doing, they'll find us," Gohan tried to console her before turning to Piccolo, Krillin and Master Roshi. "Please don't feel you have to wait with us." He felt slightly guilty that it was mostly his family as well as Hairiyu's daughter they were all now waiting on.

"Are you forgetting that you guys are our ride home?" Krillin snorted. "I'd rather not be carrying Master Roshi over the ocean if I don't have to! ...No offence, Master."

"I think I'll be taking my leave," Piccolo decided. "Tell the three of them when they finally find you that I'll be expecting to see some big improvements the next time we meet."

"We'll let them know but I imagine only one of them will not mind hearing it!" Hairiyu nodded sympathetically.

"I'd also be interested to see just how tough your daughter is, Gohan," Piccolo added. "She is free to show me what she's made of, if she chooses." With that, the caped Namekian took to the skies, startling many surrounding spectators into a state of shock! Within a flash he was gone, bolting into the distance so not too many observers would see him.

"Bye Piccolo!" Gohan waved.

'_... I'm not sure whether to be offended or not...'_ Hairiyu muttered to herself, torn between feeling annoyance because Piccolo did not offer for her own daughter to visit but also knowing Chuka wasn't too interested in training anymore. She let it slide; Pan was clearly the more enthusiastic one when it came to training.

"Can we please get an ice-cream now? Please daddy?" Shio whined. "I'm hungry!"

"I said when we find the others, we can then get an ice-cream," Soba scowled. "Be patient, Shio!"

It was a further ten minutes until finally Goten was spotted walking towards them with the two girls in tow. The rest of the group congratulated them all on their individual performances, filled with compliments and fantastic things to say about those who'd represented them.

"Big sis, you was awesome!" Inari beamed as she was passed down into Pan's arms, hugging the life out of her sister! "I wanna be as strong as you when I grow up!"

"Aww I'm not that strong, Inari," Pan blushed. "You can be even stronger if you try hard!"

"Nicely done," Gohan patted his eldest daughter on the head. "It's a shame about the whole turning Super Saiyan against an opponent but with it being Uub, I guess I'll let it slide."

"... I was hoping you wouldn't remember that..." Pan frowned embarrassed, though her shyness quickly turned to hopefulness. "Were you impressed I could do it?"

"Very," Gohan responded with a smile. "I didn't realise you'd come so far already! I think I was your age when I first transformed, so good on you!"

"It's fantastic honey, just remember not to do it so often in public," Videl reminded her daughter, not as enthusiastic as her husband. "Remember, we're supposed to be keeping that part of you a secret; the world's just not ready for something so huge."

"I know," Pan nodded.

"Out of interest, what kept you guys so long?" Krillin asked. "We were waiting here for ages."

"Oh, we went to quickly visit Uub just to check on him," Goten responded. "Then afterwards a certain pair wanted some ice-cream so we quickly popped up to Mr Satan's office and asked for some money since none of us won the Budokai!"

"That's ridiculous!" Chichi snapped infuriated. "If you have no money, you don't go asking other people for it! I thought I taught you better than that!"

"It's ok, Grandma," Pan quickly butted in, "Uncle Goten didn't want us to ask but we did anyway. Grandpa Satan was happy to get us ice-cream after all the hard work we did!"

"We couldn't resist..." Chuka added sheepishly. "It was chocolate mint ice-cream..."

"Sis gets an ice-cream and I didn't?!" Shio grunted irritated. "That's not fair!"

Chuka spat her tongue out which just infuriated him further!

Soba and Hairiyu both exchanged glances with one another before sighing in defeat. "Fine," Soba muttered, "Let's go get you an ice-cream."

* * *

The return trip home took a little over four hours. Krillin and Master Roshi were dropped off first, then Gohan and his family. Next the craft headed westbound and eventually dropped off its third lot outside West City before the remaining family on board headed home to Shore City, a little further west.

The next day followed, a day for those who'd participated in the Budokai to rest up... except for one.

The sun beat down on the island despite the early hour in the morning. It was just coming up to seven in the morning and Uub had agreed to assist some of the fishermen of his island to catch something for breakfast, whilst others were in the fields tending to their crops. Setting off with a fleet of three others, the tiny ship set off to the south of the island where recently a large shoal of fish had been seen from the top of the cliffs. The villagers did not use high-yield methods, choosing to fish with rods rather than trawl or use nets. They didn't need a great deal of fish to catch so there was no need for such things, plus they felt strongly about the larger fishing trawlers from the large continent to the north leaving them with lower numbers of fish.

They'd only been out to see for half an hour and yet they were doing very well as far as catches went! Uub had been asked to swim down to the fish's level and attempt to bring them closer to the surface. Some of the fishermen had even resorted to abandoning their rods and catching fish in small nets as they leapt up into the air, some even forced to leap straight into the boat! The fleet's job was done by eight and they returned back home with their catch, all impressed with Uub's speediness in getting the job done!

"It made for a refreshing warm-up for the day," Uub had smiled back at them, modesty kicking in as they showered him with praise and compliments.

"We should bring you along now that you're finally home," One of the others suggested. "If we're lucky we may even have some leftover fish for tomorrow!"

A shadow passed over the ship, catching Uub's eye as instinct kicked in, although it went unnoticed by the rest of the crew. It hadn't made itself present before but he could now sense someone very powerful high above them. A wave of relief hit him when he realised it was no one hostile. In fact it was someone he was very surprised to see! "M-Master Goku!" He exclaimed.

The shadow quickly descended down towards them, the other three villagers a little nervous about the man landing in their boat in fear he'd tip it over and lose them their catch! Goku did not land thankfully, instead stopping a couple of feet above them. He seemed just as cheerful as ever. "Hey!" He smiled, giving a small wave.

Uub wasn't entirely sure what to make of the situation. His master had not seen the Tenkaichi Budokai yesterday so hadn't seen any of Uub's fights or seen how far he'd progressed. What was he doing here anyway? Uub was sure he'd heard his master say his training was now complete. Had he visited his family? He hoped he had done but doubted his hopes. "... What are you doing here?" He finally asked.

"I thought I'd just pop over to let you know the next part of our training is almost ready to begin!" Goku responded, amused by the confused expression on his student's face which intensified even more upon hearing his answer!

"B-But I thought you said I'd completed my training," Uub stuttered baffled.

"Your training under me is pretty much finished," Goku nodded. "The next part involves travelling to distant places to see what else the world can chuck at you! I'm sure you'll end up meeting lots of other fighters who could still teach you a thing or two!"

Uub started bewildered, unable to take it all in. Was he really hearing this? He'd only just returned home and seen his family and friends, now his master was trying to ship him off again – though this time it was without his guidance? Uub had always been woeful with how quickly Goku'd always wanted to leave for training once more; the longest Uub had been able to spend with his family was one week without any training; that was four years ago! He was reluctant to set off straight away as his master was suggesting but he also didn't want to question his methods. The man was the greatest warrior Uub knew of; he didn't want to seem disrespectful and ungrateful for all the lessons he'd supported him with but it was beginning to get too much for him to ask for!

Goku seemed to be able to read Uub's mind purely through the expression on his face. The Saiyan chuckled, "Don't worry! You don't have to leave right this second! You're your own master now, Uub. I'm really proud of how you performed in the Budokai yesterday, you put up a great fight against Buu and I know you gave it your all."

"Huh?! H-How do you know about that?!" Uub gasped with amazement. He didn't think his master could surprise him any more than he already had. How wrong he was! To his disappointment Goku merely winked at him and avoided the question.

"I'm going to be doing a bit more travelling before I return home," Goku added. "If you need any advice or help, don't hesitate to come and find me... but I'm leaving it all up to you, now. I'll step in if it's really necessary but the fate of the Earth now rests on your shoulders. You've earned it, Uub."

It was this conversation again? Uub chose not to say anything, feeling he understood exactly what his master meant. It was all now in his hands. If anything drastic were to happen it would be up to him to make things right and to protect the peace. It was a horrifyingly daunting thought that made his stomach churn! He didn't feel as if he was truly ready to take on such responsibility.

"See you soon!" Goku gave a wave before turning on the spot. With a small shift in his ki he bolted forward, leaving Uub and the stunned fishermen to themselves. Four pairs of eyes stayed glued to the Saiyan until he was no longer visible. None of the other three men knew what to make of him; he was a peculiar man to them after all.

"Um... Uub?" One finally spoke up. "Is everything alright?"

Uub jolted out of his trance and slowly nodded his head. "... I think so."

He didn't believe it himself, so how could he expect his fellow villagers to believe him. He wasn't alright. It was too much pressure to bear. How could his master just leave like this and decide to leave everything up to him? How was he ready for this? He was only sixteen; he was only a young man still growing. He didn't feel ready to take the reins and defend Earth should he be required to. This was insane, how could Goku have so much faith in him when Uub himself did not have any faith in his ability to succeed? He had no experience of life-or-death fights; all his sparring sessions with Goku and other opponents he'd come across had been through training or competition; nothing could prepare him for the sheer danger of a real battle to the death. It was very unsettling.

The men on the boat surrounding him could all see the worry on their protégé's face; none of them had ever seen Uub look so nervous before, not to this magnitude. It was worrying to see but none pestered him as they set sail back to their home and people.

None would know of the terrors that would occur six months later...


	13. Chapter 13

**AN:** It's been about six months since I uploaded the last chapter and fittingly this one is set six months after the previous saga! This is the start of the next saga if you will. Many characters have the same character design they had in GT within this saga. I'd also like to make a mention that recently it has come to my attention that Bra is supposed to be iyounger/i than Pan (GT did not help there at all!), this was made clear in the latest DBZ movie released at the end of March 2013 (Battle of Gods). I need to go back and check my earlier works to make sure I haven't contradicted myself anywhere!

Chapters will be uploaded as and when I can, so don't expect it to be done every week. I have a lot on my plate at the moment so please be patient with me :)

- LilDBZbuddy89

* * *

**Chapter 013 – Buu's Creation**

Age 790, November

Videl sighed and threw another small pool of cold water over her face, rocking her head back a little as she let the refreshing feeling wash over, relieved the day's teaching was finally over. The large halls of the dojo were now silent save the splash of the water running from the taps via the locker rooms next door. Her limbs felt heavy and her back ached in various spots; with luck her physiotherapist/ husband would be around by the time she arrived home to inspect what she'd inflicted upon herself during the day. She'd had yet another demanding but enjoyable day, running several martial arts classes teaching students of various ages at her father's dojo in Satan City. Her dad didn't teach any students anymore, mostly because of his ageing body but also because he didn't need to, and so the job had been passed down from father to daughter. It only made sense; Videl had taken the advanced classes under her father during her teenage years and was a strict, harsh teacher – and his best legitimate pupil by far! None of her students could match her or her father's skills, something she was proud of even today. At least it kept her family's dojo in business!

Passing through the corridors she decided to pay a quick visit to her father before stopping off home; she'd been meaning to check up on how his recent back problems were progressing, something that was to be kept out of hearing shot of the media. They were always spreading scare stories regarding her father's age and recent decision to retire from teaching at his own dojo, even going so far as to suggest that the champion may soon retire from entering the Tenkaichi Budokais. Perhaps the one six months ago was to be his final appearance! Videl pushed the lies from her mind as she passed through the reception area, slinging her back upon her back and heading out towards the car park. To drive or to fly, that was the question.

'_Maybe I should get a little more exercise in,'_ Videl decided, opting for option c: to walk! As it was, the journey was only a ten minute walk from the main dojo to Satan House. Fondling in her pocket for the key, she opened the door, greeted by the head maid on the way in who instantly recognised her. It was hard not to be recognised in this house, or outside for that matter. Videl was still her own celebrity in her own right, though the media were usually left to their own devices as she'd always shun away from them, refusing any chance for an interview they tried to make. She had no interest in the world butting its nose into her business and her private life and was particularly protective over her two girls and husband, of which some reporters had been a little too gung-ho in their attempts to gain access to! They'd soon come to regret it!

Passing down the halls of the large stately home, she used her ability to sense ki to locate her father; a skill she'd learnt to use under her husband's tutorage many years ago. Finding him somewhere on the upper floor, she rushed up the stairs (her legs reminding her how much she'd overused them and punishing her for it!) and located him one of the many lounges of the house. Opening the door, she almost squeaked with shock at what she saw!

Her father was looking absolutely overwhelmed; Videl could take an educated guess why!

Before them stood Buu: nothing unusual about him. He appeared the same as ever. However, behind him - and cowering a little - crouched a pink being very similar in appearance to Buu – minus the build – with breasts and birth hips! Videl's eyes could not have gone any wider even if she'd asked them to; she couldn't even begin to work out what she was seeing before her. It was the last thing she'd expected to see on what was just another routine stop-off at her old home: another Majin Buu?

"D-Dad," She spluttered struggling to form words coherently, "... What's... what's this?"

"...Booby," Mr Satan answered after a moment, still stunned by the sight even though he'd had plenty of time to recover; the shock had just been overwhelming! He'd only popped into the library to find some of his old home videos so he could study his technique and how it had evolved over the years, as part of research for his autobiography in which he was currently writing! He'd strode in to see the pink form of this unknown Majin standing opposite his friend before both Majins had panicked; the female quickly hiding behind the larger form of Buu! It was incredibly difficult to get his head around this. "... Ok Buu... explain this to me one more time why there's another one of you walking around!"

"Buu felt lonely," Buu responded, sensing that perhaps he'd done something wrong and acting like a child trying to avoid being told off. "B-Buu made a mate for Buu so he can have family. Get idea from Mr Satan's bookshelf... Buu know he not supposed to snoop in other people's rooms but Buu spotted it falling off of shelf so he went to see what book was about. Front cover looked interesting so Buu read it."

"Book? What book was this?" Videl raised an eyebrow with a tinge of suspicion in her voice as her eyes followed her father. Quickly an answer entered her mind; just as quickly she continued with caution and anxiety in her voice, "W-Wait! Dad, do I want to hear the answer to this?"

"I don't know what book he's referring to," Mr Satan shrugged his shoulders. He had his suspicions but even so, it could have been any number of books!

"Um... Bob and Margaret," Buu answered, pleased he'd been able to remember the title. Immediately it sent Mr Satan into a flustered frenzy, leaving Videl little room for excuses about her father's reaction!

"I-I thought I'd gotten rid of that old thing!" Mr Satan sheepishly laughed, rubbing the thinning line of his curly hair and deliberately ignoring his embarrassed daughter's gaze. "So this person behind you is going to be your wife? Is that it, Buu?"

Buu nodded cheerfully. "Buu create her from Buu's own body so he can start a family, just like Bob and Margaret did!" It was almost as if he believed this had been the best idea he had ever come up with, judging by the sound of pride in his voice.

"Wait, so you created her just to be a vessel?!" Videl snapped horrified and offended. "Buu! You can't just create a new being and use them just for that one reason! It's not fair to her!" _'And it's insulting!'_ Videl added in her head, anger rising but trying to be controlled in the knowledge that this was an innocent being she was talking to and clearly he had no clue just what he was insinuating. The confused look on the Majin's face told her she needed to explain herself; this would be a task in itself! She had no time for this; Gohan would not be in home in time to start dinner and they had Chichi visiting, so Videl needed to get home quickly! (She especially did not trust her eldest daughter to attempt to make dinner for everyone again!) "What I mean is you can't just make..." she shuddered at the name, "... Booby... just so you can have babies with her. She's a living being just like you, surely she deserves to have more free will and a personality? You like sweets and candy because of how Bibidi made you – don't you think it's fair Booby should have something like that as well?"

Her knowledge on Bibidi was far from accurate; Buu's liking for candy could have just come across as a discovered accident rather than deliberate. Still it had made Buu begin to think about what Videl had said. Booby stood behind him still appearing to be shy of the others within the room; the mere fact she was displaying shyness was surely an indication she had the fragments of a personality already but then it could have just as easily have been a basic instinctive reaction to the unknown, in this case the two humans in the room.

"Videl's right, Buu," Mr Satan agreed. "It's not very fair to make Booby and expect her to listen to everything you say and do everything you wanna do. She's gotta have free will, just like you do. Remember how you used to feel when Babidi was controlling you? I'm sure Booby is feeling the same way."

His friend's words seemed to strike more of an impact into him and Buu seemed solemn and guilty upon this realisation that perhaps what Mr Satan and his daughter were saying was true. He recalled those memories from what seemed like a while ago now, remembering how frustrated and cross it made him feel whenever Babidi used to boss him around and insult him. He didn't want Booby feeling that way about him as that would become problematic. He didn't want to have to turn his wife into chocolate or have her turn him into chocolate! In recognition of this issue and wanting to resolve it, Buu lifted his antenna up slightly and pointed it towards the Majin behind him. "Buu understand. Buu give Booby a personality, but one that Buu likes."

Well it was a compromise after all! A bright bolt of purple light shot from the antenna and struck Booby, engulfing her entire body into the light. As quickly as it'd appeared, it vanished. She looked no different except for her expression; before she'd looked innocent and a little lost; now she seemed stern and strong, yet quiet and gentle. Buu grinned proud of his latest tweak. "There, Buu give Booby a personality!"

"Thanks Buu," Videl smiled with relief albeit she was interested to see what kind of personality Booby now had.

"The only thing I'm wondering is what kind of personality has she got?" Mr Satan mirrored his daughter's thoughts as he scratched his head, not so certain this was going to work in his favour. It was tricky enough trying to deal with Buu at times; the Majin had good influences but his tantrums were tough to gain control over. Now there were two of them... It left a very nervous feeling in the champion's stomach!

"Is it ok that Booby stay here with Buu and Mr Satan?" Buu asked.

"S-Sure," Mr Satan nodded, "I'll get a room or bed set up for her." He glanced over to his daughter as if to ask for help, of which Videl felt she had to give into. At least this would allow her to check up with her father on the information she'd come for in the first place!

* * *

The sky was still dark as the pre-teen child rose from her bed. Despite the darkness still looming outside, she got herself quickly washed and dressed in preparation for a small training session with her uncle. Pan was an early bird and flourished during the mornings, usually exhausted by the end of the day. Goten, however, was not as early a morning riser compared to his niece. It wasn't that he was grouchy or anything if woken up early, it was just he did not like getting up as early as Pan wanted to! Still she was determined to make the most of the day since she didn't have to go to school!

The eleven-year-old girl darted out of her front door, closing it quietly behind her so as not to wake the rest of her family. She quickly scurried over to next door and levitated up to the first floor window where her uncle's bedroom was. Peering in through the glass panel separating her from her uncle's room, she growled under her breath with frustration when she realised the curtains were closed, unable to tell whether he was in there or not. Gently she tapped against the window in a bid to wake him up. "Uncle Goten, it's time to get up!" She whispered in a hoarse voice, tapping on the window a little more. "Uncle Goten. Uncle Goten, get up!"

The curtains were suddenly pulled apart as a shirtless and disgruntled Goten glared at his niece from the other side of the window; Pan wincing a little and spitting her tongue out at the sight of her uncle! "Eugh! Uncle put some more clothes on! That's gross!" She demanded flushing bright red. She didn't appreciate seeing him in nothing but his boxers!

Goten opened the window crossly rubbing one eye lazily and resting the other upon the window pane, "Pan, it is half past six in the morning. I told you I won't get up until seven at the earliest!" He hissed. "We had a long day yesterday; let me sleep!"

"Aww but Uncle, you'll never be strong with an attitude like that!" Pan smiled teasingly. "Come on, I know my papa used to wake you up even earlier when you were a kid! You've gotten lazier!"

Goten's eye twitched but he refused to take the bait. Instead he had some news of his own he knew would disappoint his niece and force her to leave without him. "... Look, I won't be training with you today – and I don't think you should be training either. Let your body have time to rest after the tough session yesterday. As it is, I'm going over to see Trunks so I won't be here to train with you anyway."

"Aww," Pan frowned, though the disappointment quickly turned to a smile as she sensed an opportunity. "Oh! Maybe I can come with you and hang out with Bra!"

"N-No! That would be a really bad idea!" Goten hissed desperate to get away from his niece at all costs. Lately it seemed she attached herself to him far too often; he didn't want to suddenly become her permanent babysitter, plus he and Trunks hadn't had the opportunity to meet up and get out of their homes, away from their families and work! "Y-You see, me and Trunks are going out drinking so Bra won't be there!"

"You're drinking in the middle of the day?" Pan raised an eyebrow unimpressed and a little disproving. "Grandma Chichi won't like hearing that..."

"Well tough, Mother will just have to get used to it," Goten responded once again resisting rising to the bait. He didn't care what she threw at him; he would not be taking her with him over to West City, even if it did mean an earful from his mother! "Just go and train or whatever and leave me in peace!"

Pan pouted annoyed and crossed her arms. "Fine, be a jerk!" She grumbled before floating back down to the ground and walking in a strop over into the nearby woods. "One day you'll be crying on the floor, wondering how I left you in the dust!"

Goten sighed and closed his window, relieved that stupid and pointless discussion was over. He had been telling the truth to a certain degree; he had been meaning to see Trunks since it had been ages since they'd met up properly! The poor guy barely managed to get any time off from work and the two needed to catch up. Goten'd heard from Chichi that he'd been training a little more than usual, something that had worried Bulma initially since she'd been used to her son being a slacker! Chichi'd related to that point, which had annoyed Goten a little. He couldn't deny it wasn't entirely false but he did his best!

* * *

Unlike his friend who was able to rise at whatever hour he chose, Trunks was busy working away; the morning's work just as busy as ever. Trunks felt the immense pressure on his shoulders and had done since he'd seen his mother this morning at breakfast. Her words had been along the lines of "whatever you don't finish today will have to go on top of all the work you have to do tomorrow. You've got less hours today so don't slack off as usual!" Trunks had snorted with annoyance at the remark, a little offended his mother was suggesting he was a slacker! He wasn't Goten; he was a hard-working, dedicated-to-his-job man who had nothing else to do but his own paperwork! All he spent his time on was work; he had no time for anything else because it was expected of him to assist his sister in carrying on the family company.

Was he truly as dedicated as he made out to be? He wasn't so sure. Trunks was twenty four years of age and still felt he was young and in the prime of life. Was he ready to truly settle down and focus on his career, casting aside any form of social life he could possibly have? He wasn't so sure. He didn't have anyone to share his ever depleting spare time with, unlike Goten. He was a man after all, he needed some form of companionship no matter how intimate, committed or casual it was! He needed a life, he needed to socialise with friends, he needed to get out and see the world rather than be cooped up in a room up to his neck in paperwork! It wasn't right! How on earth his mother and grandfather had both managed to do this at his age, he did not know! His sister had struggled, especially when Chuka had popped along. Even before then she and Soba struggled to meet up. Trunks was not naive; he knew how much strain his sister's job put on her and her family's relationship. He didn't want that for himself.

The sooner two O'clock arrived, the better. His shift for the day would end and he'd meet up with Goten for a reunion. It had been a while since the two of them had met up properly and Trunks was desperate to get out of the office. Seeing his childhood friend was as good as any excuse. The hands of the clock on his wall slowly ticked by until finally that desired time came: two in the afternoon. With a big sigh and stretch as he leaned back in his chair, Trunks suddenly felt a lot lighter and loose. It was as if all the pressure he'd been carrying was suddenly taken off of him; his body suddenly felt so much more awake, so much more limp, whereas before he'd felt stiff and rigid from leaning over his work or carrying files.

"Two O'clock Mr Brief," His personal assistant's voice came through on the small speakerphone on his desk.

"Thank you," Trunks responded, almost leaping out of his seat with joy. He left the rest of his work in a relatively neat pile on the desk, certain his p.a. would be in shortly to neaten it up as always! The woman was a looker but her attitude towards cleanliness and neatness grew on his nerves at times. Often she'd come into his office and tidy it up, meaning Trunks could never find any of his half-finished work! She'd always organise it in an impeccable manner but it had taken Trunks a while to get used to her way of doing things. He couldn't fault her on any of her own work; she was fantastic at what she did...

He'd thought about the possibility of him and her but had quickly dismissed it. If his sister was anything to go by, relationships with colleagues were a bad idea! _'Soba was her p.a. after all and look where that ended up...'_ It hadn't quite gone the way he was making out but it still seemed like a bad idea.

Leaving his office, he bid a good day to his assistant before leaving the room and heading down the many mazes of corridors passing through the Capsule Corp building. He knew the corridors like the back of his hand; working and living here for all of his life had its perks, he was often giving directions to uncertain and new colleagues. Reaching the living quarters on nothing but auto-pilot, he quickly got changed out of his work clothes and into something more casual and comfortable before heading into the kitchen to grab a drink. He passed through the living room on the way, spotting his little sister was in front of the television watching some random children's programme. He paid little mind to it as he'd passed through the room.

Almost immediately the phone rang. Trunks rushed back into the living room, swiping the phone before Bra could reach it, earning a little scowl from her. "Hello?"

"Is that Mr Brief?" It was the lady at the main reception. Being called Mr Brief was rather bizarre for Trunks as he was used to that term being given to his grandfather. The man had passed a couple of years ago, his grandmother a couple of years before him. The loss had hit his mother hard which had left the company temporarily in his and his older sister's hands. On top of it all, Hairiyu still had two young children to take care of, leaving Trunks to have to step up his game and take over most of the proceedings alongside her. It had been successful in the end though it had resulted in Bulma retiring as head of the company, promoting her two children and leaving them as president and vice president of Capsule Corp.

"Yeah, this is Mr Brief," Trunks responded.

"We have a Son Goten waiting for you downstairs?" The receptionist spoke.

"Send him up," Trunks replied, putting the phone back on its receiver. A couple of minutes passed before finally Goten showed his face! Trunks blinked once and began to laugh. "What's up with the hair?" He snorted. "Did you get fed up of not being able to see through that scruffy mop of yours?"

"It wasn't that scruffy!" Goten reached for his hair; it had been recently cut and was a lot shorter than it used to be, now spiked up in a similar fashion to Gohan's. If it hadn't been at his mother's suggestion to impress Palace, he wouldn't have bothered!

"Alright, I'm just messing with you!" Trunks smirked with amusement. "Tell you what - we'll settle this by seeing what Bra thinks!"

Upon hearing her name, the ten-year-old looked over to the two men, pout ever present on her face. She hated being disturbed from watching her favourite programme, no matter what the reason. The building could be on fire and she still wouldn't care, all she'd be able to think about was how she was missing something she wanted to watch – or in this example, how all of her toys would be burning in the building! Nevertheless the sight before her was enough to grab her interest as blue eyes quickly scanned Goten's new hairstyle, expression unwavering. "... You finally managed to afford a decent haircut and a brush? Good for you!" She wryly muttered.

Her words left Goten feeling even more embarrassed whilst Trunks roared with laughter. "I'm getting insulted by your little sister?" Goten protested. "I don't need this right now!"

* * *

As soon as her uncle had left the house, Pan had gone to do a little training. The late morning sun was barely rising above the peak of one of the nearby mountains. She'd lost her enthusiasm to train; Pan didn't enjoy training by herself so much, she liked to spend time in other people's company and had been taught from a young age that training with a partner reaped stronger benefits than training by oneself. In fact it had been her grandfather who'd taught her that, arguably her best teacher in her eyes! She wanted to grow as strong as she could! Maybe it was time to go and visit Chuka? _'No,' _Pan frowned, _'Chuka hasn't been training recently...'_

At a loss of what to do, she wandered back home and found both her parents were out. Figuring her sister was either with them or with her grandmother, Pan entered the house next to her own; her grandmother's home. The door was always open to her and her family; if any intruder took advantage of the unlocked door at day they'd soon come to regret it! Her grandmother Chichi may be past her prime but she could still pack a wallop! "Grandma Chichi?" Pan called, voice echoing in the hallway a little. "Grandma, it's Pan."

A couple of footsteps could be heard from the living room and Chichi appeared carrying a thick, slightly dusty book in her hand. A smile instantly appeared on her wrinkling face, "Pan, what a nice surprise! Your sister and I were looking through a photo album of you when you were little!"

That explained the dusty book in hand; Pan now realised it was a photo album. "I wondered if Inari would be here," Pan responded, seeing her younger sister poke her head around the door. She joined her and Chichi upon the sofa and the three continued to look through the book, many memories being stirred up for Pan as she recognised most of these photos and could identify when they were taken.

"Pan's hair looks a lot like mama's used to in this picture," Inari pointed to one photo in particular. "When was this one taken?"

Pan lay her eyes on the photo her sister had pointed out. It showed her as a four-year-old girl (around a couple of months before the Twenty-eighth Tenkaichi Budokai and just before her fifth birthday) being held in her father's arms with her grandfather Goku holding a small orange sphere in his hands, four red stars dotted on one of its sides. Pan examined the photo with deep interest and a mixture of reminiscence and sadness. Her grandfather had been with them only for a couple more months until he'd forever vanished with Uub...

"Who's that, gran'ma?" Inari asked pointing to the man with hair spiking out all over the place.

Chichi giggled, "That's your grandfather Goku. Come to think of it, you haven't met him yet, have you?" The sentence was said calmly and with a hint of cheerfulness though inside Chichi felt a twang of anger towards her husband. He hadn't returned home in over six and a half years now; he had a granddaughter he didn't even know about. His family missed him dearly - she missed him dearly – yet they always seemed to play second place to his training! They always had... he could be incredibly selfish and yet she still loved him. She just wished he'd come home, even if it was a brief visit; at least then he could catch up with his granddaughters and sons.

"Is that a Dragonball?" Pan asked studying the orb closer. "... I think I remember Dad and Grandpa Goku telling me about them... Seven balls that you gather together to make a wish, right?" She asked looking for confirmation, Chichi nodding. "They said a dragon appears when you summon it; that dragon grants you two wishes."

"A dragon?" Inari gasped, her lip quivering slightly. "... Sounds scary."

"It is at first," Chichi smiled, "I remember the first time I saw the dragon of the Dragonballs – though the first time I saw it was actually when we were using a different set of balls. I've seen the one you're all referring to – his name is Shenron."

"Yeah, I remember being told that now!" Pan beamed finding herself formulating a plan in her mind. Her curiosity was growing as she thought more of it; why hadn't she thought of doing this sooner? She contemplated not saying anything just in case her grandmother would talk her out of it until finally she could contain herself no longer. By this time Chichi and Inari had moved on and were laughing at a picture of Videl shoving a piece of wedding cake in Gohan's face, Chichi explaining it had of course resulted with Gohan doing the same back! Pan slipped off the sofa and headed out the room.

"Where are you off to, young lady?" Chichi asked, not taking her eyes off the pages of photos. She knew what was going through her granddaughter's mind; she was plotting to do something that would probably end up in her getting into trouble. Years of prior experience had taught Chichi that Pan always left the room without saying a word whenever such an event was about to happen!

"Um... Training," Pan replied unsure if her grandmother would buy the lie or not.

Chichi turned her attention fully towards her granddaughter and gave her a stern look; Pan gulped knowing full well what that look meant. She didn't buy it. Knowing it was better to tell the truth than to keep feeding her grandmother lies, she resigned herself to fate and breathed out a long breath of defeat. "I was gonna go to West City to ask Bulma for the dragon radar so I can see what Shenron looks like..."

Chichi kept the firm look in her eyes but was relieved it had nothing to do with Pan going off on dangerous expeditions into the mountains, or terrorising her uncle! Still it was a dangerous plan her granddaughter had in mind and Chichi didn't like the sound of it. Would her parents be ok with their eldest daughter venturing off across the globe? Gohan wouldn't see any harm in it providing Pan was back at a sensible hour; it was Videl who'd have the issue. Much like her mother-in-law, Videl ran a strict watch over her family and was quite protective over her daughters. She understood their abilities and knew they could take care of themselves – she'd seen that on many occasions with her eldest – but she was still their mother and her children needed boundaries.

"... I'll be alright, Grandma," Pan spoke after a while, uncertain how well she could convince her grandmother to let her go. "I'll be with other people; it won't just be me going."

"Who else is going?" Chichi asked intrigued to see what Pan would say.

"Chuka will come too," Pan answered nervously, "a-a-and maybe Bra, and maybe we can bring an adult with us?"

Chichi closed her eyes and pondered the thought over once more in her mind. It was dangerous but it wasn't as dangerous as defending the planet against monsters and fighting them... She'd only be looking for seven balls scattered across the globe... and she was eleven years old. Goten had done things just as dangerous at the age of seven and Gohan was always getting into far more dangerous situations at half her age, visiting strange planets and fighting in battles to the death, all because her husband was busy healing or being dead or training and dragging their son with him! Chichi stopped herself; she was getting side-tracked and angry again! She gave Pan a stern look, trying to find any fragment in her granddaughter's gaze that would make her falter and give in. She found none.

"... Alright. You have my permission. All I ask is that you take an adult with you; Trunks and Goten should be around the area so see if either of them will go with you all."

Pan beamed, surprised her grandmother had even said yes! "Thank you so, so much, Grandma!" She rushed over and gave her a hug before dashing back out the house. "I'll be back by night!" She called, though it hadn't fully crossed her mind how long the search would be!

"Make sure you are; you have school tomorrow!" Chichi called loudly.

Pan dashed into her own home, climbing through her's and Inari's bedroom window. She got changed into more casual clothes, feeling there was no need for her to be wearing her gi since she wouldn't be fighting. Grabbing her schoolbag, she stuffed a couple of band aids and some water and snacks into it before leaving her room via the window, closing it behind her. Certain she'd gotten everything she needed, she took off heading west.

* * *

The afternoon had gone without much trouble... until she'd appeared.

Trunks now felt as if he were the third wheel tagging along with Goten rather than having met up with him; apparently he'd either been genuinely surprised or playing innocent that his girlfriend was in town! Trunks had met her before; she seemed an alright girl even if she was a little spacey at times. Possibly the most distinguishing feature about her, besides her ditzy personality, was her caramel curly locks which swept down to the lower of her back, twisting and flicking off at the ends. Her name was Palace – Goten had been going out with her for almost three months now and from what Trunks could tell, things seemed to be going well between the couple.

It was a constant reminder on how much he felt he was failing in life. He had the job and the money but no social time. He had no girlfriend. As a teen he appreciated bachelorhood and pursued it as much as possible, not wanting to be tied down to anyone (since he was already tied down to his job thanks to his mother!), but as he'd grown into his mid twenties his view had changed. Everyone his age seemed to be moving on and starting families; even the guys at work had little ones of their own. He was the only one who hadn't, save the middle-aged man in the office who seemed far more interested on affairs than anything else! It was a sobering thought, one that didn't sit well in his stomach. Since when had he even wanted a girlfriend; when had that anti-commitment state of mind been completely flipped around?

Palace giggled yet again at one of Goten's awful jokes, making Trunks roll his eyes. Either she was humouring him or genuinely laughing. Whichever it was, it was not the response Trunks felt Goten needed: never encourage bad jokes!

At least her cousin was still around; it gave Trunks someone to share the burden of being dragged along with a couple! The two had exchanged a few niceties but nothing compelled Trunks to her. She had a nice physique and her auburn hair felt warm in the winter sun, but she didn't do it for him. What would do it for him? Trunks didn't even know that!

"So what were you guys doing out here anyway?" Goten asked not really noticing Trunks' inner turmoil. He was surprised to have bumped into his girlfriend, especially since her home was far closer to East City than West City!

"Tress and I were shopping for an upcoming birthday," Palace spoke in a soft voice, "It's her papa's fiftieth soon."

"I'm sure Papa would be delighted if you were to invite your boyfriend," The cousin smiled; Palace nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I think he would be."

Trunks snorted. That was _another_ thing Goten would now be doing; going to his girlfriend's family dues and dinners. Something else his lack-of-job gave him the freedom to do. Trunks sighed and continued to walk behind the trio moping to himself.

"Perhaps I could invite your friend along?" Tress suggested taking a quick peek at Trunks, who hadn't really been paying attention until she'd winked at him! A light blush came over him but he knew he probably wouldn't be able to make it.

"S-Sorry, work commitments I'm afraid," Trunks regretfully declined. It was clear to him as of right now, he hated his job. He hated the way his life was going. _'I was far freer when dad was forcing me to train! I have no social life, I barely even get the time off to meet up with the friends I have! How did mother do this when she was this age?'_ It was as if his work was becoming his life, and it terrified him.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN:** Dragonball, its characters, places and events belong to Akira Toriyama, Toei Animation and anyone else associated with the franchise

* * *

**Chapter 014 – The Search Begins**

Far from the revelations in West City and Trunks' plight, (yet unwittingly closing in on them) a different adventure was beginning. Pan had left her grandmother and sister at home, eager at the anticipation of what she sought after. She was currently heading due west towards West City to collect the Dragon Radar from Capsule Corp, so she could start her search for the Dragonballs. Intrigued by the story her grandmother had told the two impressionable girls, she had to see for herself what this Shenron dragon was like. She'd given little thought to anything else, including what her wishes would be! That to her didn't matter, nor would it have changed her mind on wanting to unleash Shenron to the world! Would she be able to handle the cantankerous old Dragon's attitude and keep her own in check? That would be another matter, one of which many of her family and family's friends would not mind not having to witness in fear of the reprimands it would bring them should they ever need to call Shenron forth again!

Soon the familiar outlining of the progressive city emerged and Pan spotted the large yellow domed building amongst the sea of glass and tall shards of metal piercing up to the skies above. She descended down to the large garden surrounding the Capsule Corp complex, landing with due care so as not to be spotted by anyone. The temperature was a few degrees warmer in the city than the surrounding countryside; it wasn't as chilly as it'd been across the other side of the continent where she lived. Checking her watch, Pam grimaced a little realising it was almost half three in the afternoon. Would she even be able to get the radar and start her search? She had school tomorrow and knew her mother would not see much point in her searching for the Dragonballs when all she had left was half an afternoon... Would Bulma or Hairiyu share the same view? Pan would have to find one of them to find the radar and she wasn't sure how either of them would handle knowing how strict Videl could be...

Entering the building was not as straight forward as normal. For some reason, Pan felt reluctant letting either Capsule Corp women know in advance she was here and looking for them. Something about her over-reactive imagination saw them dashing to the phone and calling her mother in the first opportunity they'd get! No, she wanted to get into the complex and out as quickly as possible. This unfortunately meant crawling through an open window on the first floor within the living quarters – thankfully the room was empty and so no one saw her slip in! The search through the gigantic maze of corridors did not take too long: Pan had been here enough times visiting Bra and Chuka (on the odd occasion Chuka was spending time with her grandparents) that she remembered her way to important places. Greeting the workers she came across as she walked through the corridors, she bolted past them before any of them could ask her to stop and wait! Hairiyu or Bulma? Hairiyu would be far easier to find due to her ki being a heck of a lot easier to find than her mother's average human ki! Sensing the half-Saiyan was somewhere in the laboratories Pan dashed down the corridors, eventually entering the large three-story room, spotting the woman sitting in her labcoat tinkering with something small on her desk.

Before Pan could even announce she was here, Hairiyu suddenly jolted up with a scream and threw whatever it was she'd been fixing against the wall, Pan sensing the sudden burst of aggression wavering in her ki signal and gulping involuntarily! Naturally the object shattered upon impact and left a small dent in the thick wall! "Why must I have to fix these things?!" Hairiyu snapped not knowing she had company. "I should just get dad to stop breaking them in the first place! I'm not his slave!" She muttered at a lower tone, more to herself than her unannounced visitor. Slowly she sat herself back down in her chair and sighed, rubbing her temple with her index and middle fingers. "These blueprints aren't helping either... Dad really smashed this thing up... I don't even recognise it as the same object as these damn prints would suggest..." Still muttering to herself, she pushed the blueprints to one side and breathed out a long sigh of resentment and defeat.

"Um..." Pan hesitated before speaking up, a little worried the woman would turn around and start shouting at her! Pan admired Chuka's mother because of her history as a fighter, though now she spent most of her time working in the labs or at conferences for Capsule Corp. Apparently fixing things was not her forte, so how she did within meetings was anyone's guess that hadn't witnessed them before!

Hairiyu turned around, appearing a little startled as she realised Pan was standing by the door! "Oh!" A light blush of embarrassment came to her face when it occurred to her that there may have been witnesses to her private outburst! Nevertheless she quickly recovered, "What's up, Pan? Chuka's not here... I'm not even sure why you'd think she was..." She mumbled more to herself than the small girl in the room.

"It's not Chuka I'm here to see," Pan shook her head with a smile, slowly approaching the woman who wandered over to the object she'd just damaged further. "I was wondering if you knew where the Dragon Radar is."

"The Dragon Radar?" Hairiyu repeated with surprise and curiosity. There was an object she hadn't seen in a while and for good reason: there was no need to look for the Dragonballs as long as peace reigned on their planet. Walking back to her desk she dumped the majority of the pieces she'd been carrying (knowing she'd given herself far more work to do!) and approached another desk across the room, "Let's see... I'm sure Mama keeps it in here..." Opening several drawers and coming up with nothing, she began a search around the room looking in any drawer or box she could find. "... That's odd... I could have sworn it was here somewhere..." She wandered over to another part of the room and peered into one of the many drawers of a filing cabinet. "Aah! There it is!" She grinned, pulling out the small radar, Pan quickly rushing over to retrieve the item.

"Great, now I can go search for Dragonballs," Pan smiled as she observed the radar, taking it from Hairiyu's hands.

"You know how to use it?" Hairiyu asked. A shake of Pan's head led her to continue her explanation. "Press the big button at the top here once and it'll switch it on. You'll see some dots on the radar sometimes; those are the Dragonballs. If you press the button a few more times you can either zoom in or out, depending on what way you also turn the dial. It's pretty easy to use," She smiled. "Make sure you don't break it!"

"Thank you," Pan grinned. "Is it ok if Chuka comes along with me?"

"As long as neither of you are back late; you've both got school in the morning," Hairiyu nodded.

With that, Pan left the large building and headed further west and a few minutes later, she landed outside Soba and Hairiyu's home on the edge of Shore City. She was certain she could sense Chuka was somewhere in the large house, or possibly in the garden. Pan floated over to the north side of the house and checked the entire expanse of the garden that backed out onto the countryside. No signs of her there! Pan then headed towards the house, spotting which window was Chuka's room and peering inside. A smile appeared on her face; Chuka was sitting at her desk as usual, either doing her homework or drawing. Pan lightly tapped on the window.

Chuka turned on her seat, slightly surprised to see Pan on the other end of her window! Hurriedly she bounced off the chair and rushed over, opening the window wide enough so the dark-haired girl could slip through, "What's up?" She asked, unable to fathom a reason for Pan being here other than to play or train. "I'm not finished with my homework yet if you wanna do something. Give me another ten minutes."

"Homework can wait," Pan grinned pulling the Dragon Radar from her pocket and waving it in front of Chuka's eyes. "Know what this is used for?"

Chuka examined the object carefully, "... To tell the time?" She half-asked, highly doubting her own suggestion!

"Nope, you use it to look for Dragonballs!" Pan answered with a giggle. "We're gonna collect all the Dragonballs together and see what Shenron looks like! It'll be awesome!"

"W-Wait, I still really need to finish off my homework," Chuka pointed out nervously. "If I don't finish it, my mama and papa will be mad at me." She trotted back over to her desk and skimmed over the rest of the questions she still had left to answer. "I still have three more questions and they all need long answers."

"I thought you said ten minutes?" Pan raised an eyebrow, feeling she was picking out fragments of Chuka's reasoning that didn't quite add up.

"I'm a fast writer and I know what I'm going to say..." Chuka half-mumbled, clearly focusing back on her work and attempting to ignore her friend's chatter. She had to get this work done; if anything she'd have started it sooner had she known it would be this long and demanding! Making a plan was Chuka's thing; she had set herself main points for each answer before tackling each question. It was deemed an odd way of doing things according to her school friends but it was how she worked!

"So you'll just answer them when we get back home," Pan smiled indifferent to Chuka's worries and focus. She strode over to her friend and glanced over her shoulder, determined not to be put off so easily. "Come on, it won't take that long to look for them if we fly fast enough! We're wasting time talking here when we could be looking for them at the same time!"

Chuka frowned, not liking putting her homework off until tonight. She wanted to finish it so she knew it had been done, though she also knew Pan would be mad at her if she didn't go along with the plan. It was either get told off by her parents and teacher or be told off by Pan! Would she not like her anymore if she refused? Chuka didn't enjoy training and sparring which she knew disappointed her friend; could she say no to her over something else as well? Things between them did seem to be on the rocks right now, would saying no just make it worse and push them apart? Chuka didn't want that. She sighed and bowed her head, "Alright. Let's hurry."

The two bounded down the stairs at Chuka's suggestion; she had to let her father know she would not be in the house otherwise there'd be another reason for her to be told off!

"You're going to what?" Soba repeated baffled. "Why?"

"We wanna see what Shenron looks like," Chuka answered timidly.

"He's green with red eyes and looks like a serpent-type dragon," Soba muttered wryly, shuddering at the memory of seeing him once before. "You don't need to physically see him now, do you? I've just told you what he looks like."

"Please Mr Shirataki," Pan pleaded, "Hairiyu said it was ok for Chuka to see him, I asked her when I got the Dragon Radar!"

"Hairiyu might have said yes but I'm saying no," Soba answered sternly, smile fading as he spoke. "You haven't finished your homework yet, have you?" He cautiously observed his daughter's reactions; she'd retreated into her shell once again as one knuckle prodded her lip, her eyes averting his gaze.

Her mind began to race, coming up with hundreds of unfeasible answers to appease her father until finally one popped out, one which seemed viable. It was worth a try. "... I could take it with me and do it while we're searching?" Chuka suggested not daring to look at her father. She already felt guilty enough he was attempting to lie to him but at least this way she'd avoid being told off for not finishing her school work. "Please Dad, I really would like to go and see what Shenron looks like with my own eyes."

"I said no and I'm still saying no," Soba retorted. "You've both got school tomorrow as it is! I'm surprised Videl's even letting Pan look for the Dragonballs!"

Pan wasn't about to mention her mother had no clue about this excursion. She and Chuka both exchanged glances knowing Soba was not going to change his mind. Dejectedly Chuka bowed her head further and quietly dragged her feet back to her room. Pan followed out of guilt; it had been her idea to try and get Chuka to come along without her finishing off her homework after all. Perhaps it was best to wait until the work had been done and then try again?

"Hey, if it'll help, I'll try and help you with the rest of the questions?" She offered as she followed the brunette through her door.

"I'd feel better if I did the work by myself," Chuka responded glumly, slumping into her chair and setting to work once more. Neither of the two girls spoke for a while; Pan sat herself down on the floor and grabbed one of Chuka's books and began to read.

"... It's not fair..." Chuka mumbled quietly, tears sneakily rolling down her cheeks. She hated conflict of most kinds, verbal even more so than training. Hastily she wiped her eyes before they could be seen; she hated showing her sorrow in front of others and refused to let Pan of all people see them! The sadness swirled around in her stomach, though slowly there was a warm feeling growing inside of her. That sadness slowly turned into resentment and anger; why did her dad never let her go off on adventures anyway? Her mother wasn't so bad when it came to Chuka and Pan exploring but Soba was pretty strict and adamant it would only be dangerous! She was ten years old, almost eleven. Even if she hadn't enjoyed it, Chuka had been trained to fight by her mother, plus alongside Pan she'd keep her training up. She could defend herself from creepy adults if needed! She wasn't a baby who needed sheltering and protecting!

Chuka put her pen to paper and hurriedly answered the final question, slacking on the detail she knew she needed to put into her answer. Enough was enough. She was tired of being told she couldn't go out into the world. All they'd be doing was flying around and finding things; it was like a massive treasure hunt! There would be nothing too dangerous out there; she could destroy rocks and boulders in the blink of an eye, she could fly herself out of danger. She wasn't limited to the actions her father was limited to; she wasn't a regular human child!

The loud slap of the book on the desk closing made Pan jump; her focus turned away from the pages she was reading and to the brunette, surprised to see an angry expression on her face. "You done?" She asked cautiously. Chuka in a bad mood could be tough to calm down; Pan knew she herself had a temper but it wasn't anything like Chuka's!

"We're gonna go look for the Dragonballs," Chuka decided. "I've finished my work so there should be no reason we can't now go."

"What about your dad?" Pan asked.

Chuka looked to her left, biting her lip a little as she comprehended the consequences of the actions she was about to perform. "... I'm not gonna ask; he'll just get mad at me. We're going out the window."

Pan was impressed by Chuka's uncharacteristically sneaky plan, though this did unnerve her. This wasn't like Chuka; normally she followed the rules set out, she never wanted to disobey her parents. What was different? "... Are you o-"

"Don't ask me that!" Chuka hissed, brows burrowing further into her youthful face. Are you ok: that question always set her off! Her emotional barriers were already straining as it was without Pan uttering those taboo words. "Quick, let's go!" She marched towards the window and cautiously opened it, slipping outside and wincing as the chilly air hit her. "It's colder than I thought it was! You sure you'll be warm enough wearing that shirt? Won't your tummy and arms get cold?"

"Nah, I'm used to cold winds. Wanna get changed into better clothes?" Pan asked quietly.

Chuka shook her head, "No, there's no time." With that she moved away from the window and higher up into the air, determined to get as high into the sky as possible in case her father saw them out the window; the higher up they were the better, even if it meant her bare legs would freeze in the currents above the clouds! A skirt wasn't her best choice of clothing but at least she had two sets of layers on her top half; her green t-shirt providing decent insulation above a long-sleeved black top. A scarf or hat would have been nice to keep her neck and ears warm but she didn't want to chance being spotted!

Pan quickly pursued Chuka up into the sky until finally Chuka had levelled out. Pan followed though it quickly dawned on her she hadn't even checked to see what direction they should be heading in! "Hold up, Chuka!" She called; Chuka turning on the spot and floating back over to Pan, shivering slightly as a strong burst of wind engulfed them. It didn't help that the wind was coming in from the sea. Apparently there was a storm coming in judging by the dark clouds over on the sea's horizon.

Pan was indifferent to the cumulonimbus clouds approaching; she pressed the button on the top of the gadget and smiled when seven different dots appeared on the screen before them. "Yay, it works!" She beamed, pleased to know Hairiyu hadn't just sent them on a wild goose chase with a faulty or fake radar!

"Are those dots the Dragonballs?" Chuka asked, glancing down at the screen with amazement. "... Nanny Bulma's so smart! How did she know how to get this little thing to detect the energy of the balls... or whatever it gives off!"

"There's one really close to us too!" Pan pointed northwards. "About... Uh... I don't know how long it'll take us to get there but if we fly fast enough it'll be soon!"

"Looks like you can turn this button around too, maybe that's there to zoom in and out on the screen?" Chuka held the radar once more and continued to examine it.

The two quickly fled the scene, heading northwards for their first Dragonball.

It hadn't been very long until the two girls came across a snag.

Shio.

The younger brother of Chuka had seen the two of them leaving the house and was intrigued, not knowing of the discussion his father and Chuka had earlier about her not being allowed to leave the house. He had been training by himself in the garden as per usual when he'd noticed the bizarre behaviour his sister was doing by leaving the house via her bedroom window! Watching with interest he'd seen them both fly higher into the sky before heading northwards along the coast. His need to know where she was going got the better of him and he'd followed, easily catching up to the two as they'd been too busy focusing on the dots on their screen. Their dash off to the north only sent them colliding with the young boy!

What irked Chuka further was when Shio had asked what they were doing, Pan had gone straight ahead and told him everything! As much as Chuka loved her brother, she knew he'd want to tag along and Chuka didn't want him with them! It would be bad enough she had left the house without permission but her father would kill her even more if she took Shio with her! It served as a convenient reason other than the fact Chuka didn't often hang out with her little brother, the two having a large difference in opinion on the importance of training!

Shio had picked up whatever drive their mother had of ever training. Even though they lived in times of peace, the five-year-old was very eager and energetic and for some bizarre reason, admired his grandfather Vegeta's skills. Both children had been told many tales of her mother's adventures when she was little and whilst Chuka regarded them merely as stories from the past, Shio looked upon them as fantastic reasons to train. Adventure, competition, praise; Shio loved all of these things and saw training as a great way to get his mother and grandfather's approval – plus it meant he could go crazy and jump around and use up all of his childish energy! Chuka wondered how old he would be before those needs vanished and he grew up. It wasn't like anything the likes of Freeza, Cell, or Buu would suddenly appear anytime soon...

"You're not coming!" Chuka grunted.

"Aww come on sis!" Shio pouted. "I wanna see the dragon too! I've never seen it before!"

"N O spells no!" Chuka retorted crossing her arms with an unyielding scowl; she was not about to defy her father's wishes and get her brother in on the act! "Go back to training or whatever it was you were doing! Pan and I have work to do!"

Pan remained silent, as had she done since the argument had started. She was indifferent to Shio tagging along though she had just hoped it would be her and Chuka collecting the seven spheres; having to babysit one of their younger siblings was not on her agenda, especially when she figured Shio would slow them down or drive them nuts not completely understanding what they were doing and how important it was to them.

"That's not fair!" Shio protested. "I want to see the Shenron-thing just as much as you do!"

"Go home, Shio!" Chuka snapped. "You're not coming with us and that's final! Go home or I'll tell Mama you ate the rest of her cake!"

Shio's face whitened at the threat; he already knew he'd be in a lot of trouble with his mother, one for not asking and two for eating her food! Defeated, he sighed and left the two girls to continue their journey. Chuka and Pan quickly took their leave, meaning Shio was now on his own and forbidden to follow them.

'_It's not fair,'_ The five-year-old boy sighed to himself. It wasn't fair at all; why did his sister always say no whenever he wanted to join her and Pan on their adventures? Did she not like him or something?

Feeling he needed to do something, Shio changed course and headed west. If he couldn't get his sister's permission, he'd get his mother's permission instead!

* * *

Hairiyu had lost her temper several more times with the gadgets she'd been given to fix and had since abandoned them, taking a break in the living quarters of her former home. The furniture had changed a little since she'd moved out over ten years ago but the atmosphere was just the same. The same family with a couple of shifts in role but nevertheless it was almost a guarantee where everyone would be. Her father in the gravity chamber training to better himself, her brother either working or out – as he was today – with a friend. Her younger sister was being schooled in the same place Hairiyu and Trunks had both gone to as children and was now in middle school.

Bra was the only member of the family Hairiyu hadn't shared a decent proportion of her life with. By the time Bra had been born, Hairiyu had moved out so barely had the time to interact with her baby sister. She was definitely the spitting image of their mother whilst Hairiyu'd been seen more as the spitting image of her father – minus the eyes. However Bra's personality was very similar to their dad's in many ways. Both had a lack of patience for others, both regularly insulted others, and both could be pretty withdrawn and grouchy at times. It was therefore bizarre to know that Bra shared little interest in training, much more like their mother in being interested in looks and appearance and always happy to put someone else down! As funny as her comebacks and wit could be at times, it was infuriating when directed towards herself and Hairiyu hated the fact that unlike the times Trunks did similar antics, Hairiyu could not just challenge her baby sister to a fight knowing she could take it!

Hairiyu took a sip of her coffee and placed it back down on the table before her, rolling her head back and closing her eyes. She really didn't fancy going back into the laboratories to attempt to fix her dad's toys! Why did he need them anyway? She thought he was long finished using any training equipment her mama could conjure up! Why had she been left to try and fix them anyway? Fixing things was more Trunks' gift than hers; she did well in meeting and communicating with other companies but actual workshop duties usually ended up as a massive pile of scrap in the corner. Bulma had tried to refrain from giving her oldest child anything important or valuable to the company to fix, instead providing her with things that were easily replaceable. How her father's objects came to be included in 'easily replaceable' Hairiyu wasn't sure! Perhaps it was just her mother's way of telling her father to treat her creations with more respect, otherwise he wouldn't get them back!

Bra emerged from the hallway and peeked through the door, apparently spotting who she was looking for. "Hey sis, Shio's here." She spoke striding into the room. Despite her age, she had an air of maturity about her albeit there was a feel of arrogance about it! Behind her followed Shio, quickly bounding past the blue-haired aunt of his and scrambling onto the couch next to his mother.

"What's going on? I thought you were at home with Daddy?" Hairiyu asked with surprise.

"I was but I have a question I need to ask you," Shio nodded.

"... And the phone wasn't good enough?" Hairiyu asked quietly with a smile. "Alright, what's the question sweetie?"

"If Bra comes with me, can I go Dragonball hunting with Pan and Chuka?" Shio asked.

"What?" Bra raised one eyebrow, temper fraying already. "I never agreed to that! I said I'd take you to your mum, I didn't say I'd take you anywhere else after that!"

"Aww please Bra?" Shio pleaded turning towards the ten-year-old with his pleading eyes activated. The eyes never failed, although some people were a lot harder to use them on! "I'll be good, I promise!"

"Hold on a minute," Hairiyu interjected. "Shio, did you ask your sister if you could go with her and Pan?"

"No," Shio lied, knowing where the conversation would go if he told the truth. "They left before I could ask. I really want to go Mama, please can I go?"

Hairiyu hesitated before answering, trying to figure out how smart an idea this was. She would have no worries with her children going to hunt for the Dragonballs but knew her husband would be far more concerned. Hairiyu understood why Soba was always worrying but felt it was unnecessary, after all their children were quite capable of taking care of themselves compared to regular human children their age. The only thing that personally worried her was how young her son was. Even if at his age, Hairiyu'd been to search for the Dragonballs on Namek, she had already been hardened and shaped by the life-or-death battles she had already participated in, and so was aware to the dangers that she faced. Her son – both her children – had grown up living innocent, protected lives. Neither were aware of the dangers that could lurk, neither had that sense of cautiousness she'd had... but was keeping them indoors and protecting them going to help them?

"... Bra," She turned to her kid-sister; Bra instantly knew what was coming and sighed loudly with frustration.

"Fine, I'll take him to see the Dragonballs with Pan and Chuka," The blue-haired girl grumbled. "Remind me what's so great about these things again? I fail to see the fascination with them: they're just some stupid balls!"

Hairiyu snorted, "Yeah, stupid balls that grant wishes!" She retorted sarcastically. "The Dragonballs have done us a lot of favours in the past so don't take them lightly! If it wasn't for them, we'd all be dead – you wouldn't even have been born!"

The last sentence upset Shio a little; the thought of both his parents being dead distressed him but nevertheless he gulped down the lump and threw out another question. "Is there really a dragon involved?"

"Yeah," Hairiyu nodded. "Our dragon is called Shenron; he can grant two wishes providing they're within his power! Mama once told me she'd first heard about the Dragonballs after finding one in her attic. She wanted to wish for strawberries but then decided to wish for the perfect boyfriend..." A small sigh escaped her throat before she continued, "... Usually we'd use them to make important wishes like bringing the dead back to life, but there have been other wishes used like when Krillin wished for Eighteen's bomb to be removed."

"... So he grants any wish?" Bra asked, a plan formulating in her mind. _'Interesting...'_

"Any wish that's within his power," Hairiyu corrected, rising to her feet and sipping the last of her coffee. "Right, I need to get back to fixing Dad's stuff. If you guys are leaving then you'd better leave soon. Be sure to wrap up warm though because it's getting dark." She looked at her son, "I want you and Chuka home by six, alright?"

"Ok, thank you Mama," Shio nodded pleased. He now had permission to see the dragon of the Dragonballs – his sister couldn't say no to him seeing Shenron now!


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 015 – Protect the Dragonballs! Pan and Chuka's First Death Battle**

It quickly dawned on them just how long this search would take them. By the time Pan and Chuka had collected two of the Dragonballs, the sun was already setting below the horizon! Pan glanced down at her watch anxiously, sighing with relief when she realised it was earlier than she'd feared: almost four O'clock...

"It's getting dark," Chuka frowned growing anxious of the fact her mother expected her to be back home by six.

"Nah, it's only getting dark because it's nearly winter!" Pan wasn't as willing to head back home as Chuka was. Her friend's earlier defiance against her father had quickly rubbed away and now she seemed more afraid about going home to find out her dad knew she'd ran off! "It's nearly four in the afternoon; it's taken us under two hours to collect two balls; it'll probably take us another five to get the remaining five and we'll be home in time!"

"Yeah... but we've gotta eat," Chuka pointed out unconvinced, though her mind was screaming at her that she had two hours – not five – before she needed to be home! At present the two were somewhere in the middle of the large continent over a wasteland of sorts; Chuka couldn't say she could see any signs of civilisation and wasn't too pleased about it; she didn't want to have to eat something that wasn't cooked! She'd heard (what she considered) horror stories of the kinds of foods her mother and Pan's father had eaten whilst training under Piccolo's tutorage. She did not want to live the same experiences! She had grown up with a gourmet chef for a father; cooking food ran in her family's blood and she was not about to subject herself to some raw, half-heartedly prepared carcass off the roadside! She had no intention of making herself ill! Perhaps finding some mushrooms or fruit was the better plan. Chuka knew what was safe to eat as she'd often go foraging for mushrooms and fruits with her father and grandfather to stock up their restaurant. At least she could be safe in the knowledge that she'd know what to pick and what not to pick.

Pan reached into her jeans pocket once more and pulled out the radar, checking to see how close they were to the next ball. It was only by looking at the radar now that something peculiar was noticed. At first she thought perhaps the radar was faulty, yet it still showed five dots on the screen. "... Hey, look at this." She ushered Chuka over, both girls stopping in mid-flight. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Chuka peered at the small screen and spotted it instantly, "There are four dots together!"

"Does that mean there are four Dragonballs together?" Pan raised a confused brow unable to completely understand it all; it was bizarre to think that by sheer coincidence four of the seven balls had landed in close proximity to each other! "How can that be possible? Is someone else collecting them too?"

"That's the only thing I'd be able to suggest," Chuka mused. "Who else has radar then? I thought Nanny Bulma's radar was the only one!"

Pan's head suddenly snapped around to the direction they'd flown from, brow falling looking identical to that of her mother when suspicious. Panic was attempting to overwhelm her and her heart was thumping in her ribs. How had she not noticed it sooner? "Someone's coming! Quick, down to the ground!" She grabbed hold of Chuka and bolted towards the barren earth below, feet slapping hard on the dust as she and Chuka hid behind a rocky ledge. Who was coming for them? Was it friend or foe? She hoped it wasn't her mother!

"... How did we miss that?" Chuka gasped in a hushed voice, noticing the small ki signal heading towards them. "... There's two of them!"

"Yeah," Pan nodded, glancing over the top of the small ridge shielding them from view. Almost instantly she spotted two dots on the horizon, both heading directly for them! "They're coming this way!" She hissed, diving back down behind the cover and drawing her knees to her chin.

Chuka's head rose a little, "Wait a minute..." A look of disgust and disbelief crossed her face as the recognition hit, "That's Shio!" She crossly rose to her feet now in full view of the two approaching them, fists clenched at her sides with fury. "I told him to go home!"

Pan cautiously emerged from their hiding spot in time to see Shio and Bra land in front of them; both wrapped up warm and far better prepared than either Pan or Chuka were for the weather! Pan couldn't help but be surprised to see Bra here; the youngest heir of the Capsule Corporation Empire wasn't much of an explorer, nor did she fly very often! "What are you two doing out here?" The dark-haired girl asked lost for answers, though it didn't take a genius to know why Shio was here.

"Sis said it'd be a good idea for me to escort you," Bra answered putting her hands into her coat pocket as she observed their surroundings. "What kind of moronic ball chooses a place like this to hide in? It's desolate and creepy out here!"

"Wait, escort _us_ or escort _him_?" Chuka grumbled through bared teeth, eyes flitting over to Shio at the last word. "I already told Shio he wasn't allowed to join us so why is he here?"

"Mama said I could come," Shio defiantly spat his tongue out; a ploy which successfully irritated his older sister further.

"Mama clearly doesn't know about the cake incident then, does she?" Chuka seethed. "I don't want you here, Shio! You're just my annoying little brother who follows me around! It's getting dark so you should go home like I told you to!"

"Yeah well you should go home too!" Shio retaliated, sticking close to Bra as if she'd be able to offer her some sort of protection should Chuka decide to attack him! The two siblings squabbled often and usually it'd end up with Chuka pinning her brother to the floor with her entire weight on top of him! He hated being younger and weaker than her sometimes; his training wasn't just so he could follow in his mother's and grandfather's footsteps!

"Guys, can we please stop fighting?" Pan asked itching to continue their search. "We have five more still to go and there's already four gathered together!"

Her pleas seemed to fall on deaf ears as the two siblings continued to argue with one another. Not only was the squabbling annoying and painful to the ears, it was also beginning to dawn on the two spectators that it could attract unwanted attention from animals, criminals or worse. The last thing they needed was to be held up further in their search! At last Bra sighed and placed her hands upon her hips, taking in a breath. "Pipe down or I'll bash your heads together!" She boomed.

"She started it!" Shio retorted.

"Nuh-uh, he did!" Chuka snapped.

"Shut up!" Bra bellowed. "You two just shut up and stop fighting like morons! You're both such pains! If I hear either of you two quibble like little babies again I'll take the Dragon Radar back home and you can just forget about seeing the dragon! I know how to build that thing and I also know how to break it!"

Despite her being by far the weakest of the four physically-speaking, her words managed to keep her niece and nephew from snapping at each other! The miniature-Bulma strode over to Pan who too had been silenced, taking the radar from her hand and observing it with a quizzical expression. "... Well what do you know? Four balls all together... That's not good news. Someone else must be collecting the balls which means we've got competition."

"Who else would know about them?" Pan asked. "Bulma only made one radar, right? How can someone else be finding the Dragonballs without radar?"

"Who says they don't have radar?" Bra asked coolly. "Clearly they do; just because my mama's the smartest genius on the planet doesn't mean no one else can replicate her smarts – as I said I can break and fix this thing so clearly there'd be others smart enough to be able to build radar!"

"Who else would be looking for the Dragonballs?" Shio asked.

"Who knows," Bra answered. "I don't know how they'd find out about them; maybe they're just collecting them and don't know about the magic behind them, it could be someone wanting to sell them to people after all. If we're incredibly unlucky, it's someone who knows about their powers and someone who wants to make a wish."

A smile emerged on Pan's face, "Hey, maybe it's my Grandpa Goku?" She suggested. "He knows about the Dragonballs, maybe he's collecting them?"

Bra snorted, "Without the radar? Yeah right!"

"He'd need to use the radar at Nanny Bulma's if he was doing that," Chuka pointed out in agreement. "We've got the only radar she built – he can't know where the balls are if they're all scattered without using it."

"Well I don't know what else to suggest," Pan frowned folding her arms and shivering a little as a cold breeze swept past them. Now she wished she'd dressed more appropriately; her t-shirt wasn't long enough to even cover her stomach and her jeans only fell to mid-shin! "If it's not Grandpa then I don't know who it is!"

"That's my cue to cut in."

The deep, crackly voice caught the four off-guard; Bra instinctively moving closer to Pan whilst Chuka pulled Shio closer. The dark was quickly settling in around them now which just made their current situation seem all the more terrifying and dangerous as four sets of eyes glanced around the desolate wasteland. A dark shadow moved to their left; all four almost spotting it at the same time as it emerged, rising to its full height and towered over them.

'_I didn't even sense this guy!'_ Pan gulped as she stepped out in front of the other three, sizing the taller figure up. Whoever it was it didn't look human, though it stood on two legs and had most things in the same place, though a long, thin tail extended from its midriff and sharp-looking claws sticking out of the tips of his fingers. He – Pan assumed it was a he – had a toothy grin and creepy bug-like eyes; his clothes were bizarre and of a fashion Pan'd never seen on any corner of the globe! There was also a pungent stench coming from him along with a bizarre feeling ki; a relatively large scar sat upon his right cheek, no doubt a battle injury. Again, how had she not noticed him – especially with that stench and her nose being as strong as a dog's – something she had thanks to her father's paternal side of the family!

"Don't worry, no one needs to be hurt... as long as you follow my instructions to the letter," The being took a step forward; the four children taking three smaller steps back as his stride was far longer than theirs. "Just give me the ones you already have – and that little there gadget – and then I'll be on my way..."

"Wh-Who are you?" Pan demanded, stalling as much as she could. She didn't like the feel of this guy's ki one bit; it felt evil and sat uncomfortably in her stomach, though that could have also been her stomach reacting to the horrible odour coming from him. She couldn't believe this was happening – if this was what she thought it was. Could it be? Was this the beginning of a terrible time to be had on Earth? She'd always wondered what it must have been like for her father, uncle and family to have experienced the terrors of the villains of the past, secretively she had wished something would happen to them so she could say 'I took part in that battle!'; she could say she too knew what it was like to be involved in a legendary struggle for peace on Earth. How naive had she been?

"What does that matter? I don't care who you are so why should it be any more important who I am?" The monster grunted, taking another step forward. "All I want is the balls you got in that there blue bag on your back, and that gadget in your friend's hand. One more time, kid: give me those balls and that gadget otherwise I will be forced to take them from your corpses!" The aggression wreaked off of him just as strongly as his odour, making a couple of the party shudder and squirm.

"Pan, what do we do?" Chuka whispered hoarsely. "We can't fight him; his ki is really big! We should give him the Dragonballs!"

"... No... No, we can fight him," Pan smiled back at her friend. She turned back to the monster opposing them and slipped the blue rucksack off her shoulders, clinging to it with one hand. "You want this bag, then?" She asked. "Tough, you can't have it!" Her free hand shot forward and a ki blast launched itself straight for the monster at point-blank range! The entire area was suddenly erupting with a terrifying shudder and deafening roar, shocking those who weren't expecting it!

Through all the confusion of suddenly being ripped off his feet, Shio felt something hit him in the stomach, something soft. He fell to the ground with a thud, the object that'd hit him landing on top of him. He opened his eyes, surprised to see Pan's bag lying on top of him! His older sister was a few feet ahead of him and on her feet; Bra was to his right and complaining to Pan, "Why'd you do that?! That hurt you know!"

"Bra, Shio: take the balls to Capsule Corp!" Pan ordered, her brain kicking into gear as she began to plan the next steps. "Get them there and let Vegeta know about this! If we can't rely on Grandpa Goku to keep the Dragonballs safe then uncle Vegeta is the next best thing! Go!"

The dust was clearing and it was quickly becoming obvious that the monster opposing them had barely moved from the sudden strike, still standing on two feet in the same spot, though the ground that had been there had disintegrated in the blast leaving a rounded crater below him. He seemed unfazed and unamused by the sudden attack. The lack of concern or response from him made Pan's stomach drop; apparently this guy was the real deal. She'd been hoping it wouldn't come down to this; she was hoping this guy was all talk and no action, but it seemed this would not be the case. The urgency to get Bra and Shio and the Dragonballs away from this monster was fuelled by his response and she was desperate to make sure the least amount of them got injured.

"Chuka, I'm gonna need your help on this," She uttered quietly to the brunette beside her, gulping down the lump in her throat and clenching her fists tightly in a bid to calm her shaking limbs. "Are you up for it?" She was well aware that Chuka wasn't a fighter at heart but she knew she was probably the most capable out of the three besides herself. Anyway, the two had sparred during their younger years so both should be familiar with each other's fighting style. This would hopefully aid them in what was now an approaching and inevitable fight.

"... I... I guess..." Chuka shivered, the hairs on her arms prickling up as a coldness swept over her, heart thumping wildly. Just staring at the man scared her; she doubted very much Pan would find much help in her – not that it wasn't for lack of trying, the results would not change whether Chuka was present or not. Still she had to do this, she needed to be brave in front of her little brother now. Quickly she glanced over her shoulder and hissed at the hesitant Bra and Shio, "Will you two just go?"

Bra growled something under her breath and took hold of Shio's hand, "You two had better get back to us safely! I don't wanna have to use these things to wish you back!" With that she jumped off the ground as high as she could, though she quickly found herself being tugged along by Shio! The young boy was worried for his sister's sake but knew better than to oppose her when she was like this. He'd already made her cross as it was and he wasn't going to make it any worse... Though it had left him with a sense of dissatisfaction and worry to leave his sister against someone so terrifying, especially with a ki as evil as his. Shio may have been young but he'd been taught to sense out the intentions of an individual within their ki and he knew this man was dangerous.

The monster kept one eye on the two fleeing children, a cruel crooked smirk etching across his face. "Looks like some little kids are gonna get themselves hurt after all..." His focus then turned to the two remaining fighters before him, one of his brow arches raised as two dark eyes fell on the girl in the red top, "That was the last foolish choice you'll make. They won't escape. They'll run into trouble soon enough."

Pan began to focus her energy and lowered herself into a defensive stance, Chuka doing the same as she shifted closer behind her childhood friend. Both were dreading the struggle that was about to ensue, though it was likely it was Chuka housing most of the doubt. She highly doubted she'd be of any use to Pan in this battle; fighting was not in her blood and she was finally finding her mother wasn't being so insistent on her training. Finally she was getting to make her own choices about her hobbies... and now this had to happen? _'Just my luck!'_ The brunette frowned anxiously.

A flick of her ankle and Pan bolted forward, teleporting around the tall warrior in a bid to catch him off-guard. One powerful fist connected with the monster's jaw, sending him stumbling back several paces before he was able to steady himself; by that point Pan had overtaken him and thrown her two cupped fists into the top of his skull, knocking him backwards into the ground with an earth-shaking thud. The young warrior wasn't finished; two energy balls formed in her palms and she delivered a powerful onslaught of ki blasts at point blank, pelting her opponent as hard and fast as she could. The dusk sky was lit up by the blasts of ki, the wasteland they were in now trembled with the rumbles of explosions, the ground shuddering at the impact.

Chuka shielded herself from the powerful gusts of wind being created by the many explosions, barely able to see her more-eager friend amongst the dust and dirt. Not trusting the cracking ground at her feet she retreated to the sky about two hundred feet up, able to withstand the aftershocks better. _'... Maybe I should actually be helping...'_ She growled to herself though she didn't move from her spot. There was little point doing anything yet if Pan already had this in the bag...

The young Saiyan-Human fighter relented her barrage of strikes, her body urgently asking for more oxygen and less movement under the strain of her attack. Cautiously she levitated above the newly formed crater she'd made, unable to see anything through the dust. She could sense his presence; he was still alive. _'Crud... Maybe going out like that wasn't such a good idea,'_ She frowned, worried about her sudden vulnerability. At least this way she knew he was more than capable at withstanding a move as strong as the one she'd just pulled off. Not that it was a good thing.

His ki suddenly shifted rapidly into the sky; Pan gasped and turned, too late to warn Chuka about the danger before Chuka was struck clean from the sky with a fist to the nose. With little other thought passing through her mind as the adrenaline burst free, Pan dashed forwards her falling friend and caught her friend mid-air; clearly she had the speed advantage over their opponent, something they could utilise. However, the catch yanked her arm a little rougher than she'd anticipated and both girls crashed to the ground with a thud. Pan winced and took hold of her arm; it didn't feel broken much to her relief. "You ok?" She glanced over to Chuka who nodded whilst rubbing her nose.

"Yeah... Sorry, wasn't focusing properly." Chuka grunted shooting a glare of embarrassment up at their foe. The darkening sky seemed to make it difficult to see him and she was already having to keep an eye on a monster with a dark hide; had it been due to difficulty of seeing his movement or her not being able to keep track of him? Pan had seemed to see him move!

"His ki is pretty big," Pan rose to her feet and stayed close to her friend, beads of sweat beginning to form as she endured the force of his ki. Was it a tactical ploy? Was he deliberately radiating his ki in the menacing manner she could sense or was his ki always like that? It turned her stomach and made her feel a little queasy but she stayed firm. This was it; she'd heard many, many stories from her father about the adventures he and her grandpa used to have saving the world against strong monsters. Though she'd always known them to be based on fact, nothing could have prepared her for the adrenaline rush actually being part of such a scenario was giving her. This was the moment she would be able to turn to her father, turn to her family and friends and be able to tell her own stories rather than having to listen to everyone else's tales of valour. She could finally join them in taking pride in her achievements. She would be able to recite a battle she'd once participated in to save her home world from destruction. Her heart pounded wildly as a smile imprinted across her face.

Chuka looked upon her friend with concern and bafflement. "Pan?"

With a roar Pan leapt clean off the ground and rose to meet their foe in the air.

"Pan!" Chuka gasped, scurrying to her feet as her comrade suddenly shot straight off the ground and up towards their foe. She did not share the same thrill as Pan seemed to be enveloped in; whilst both their hearts pounded in their ribs and the adrenaline flowed through their blood prompting action, it provoked a sense of fear in the brunette where as Pan was invigorated. The seemingly fearless Saiyan-Human girl tore through the air approaching their tall, dark foe in a matter of moments.

He was ready for her.

Thunderous claps echoed through the skies as the two fighters began to move rapidly, dishing out blow after blow and defending themselves. Pan found she was able to keep up with his speed, highly doubting this was the best he could do. He could do far better – and so could she. A clip to his elbow left her fist stinging from the bone-on-bone contact but she seized her chance and connected with a kick to the chest followed by an open handed slap to the face. The blow sent her foe shooting to the right a couple of feet, allowing her to swing behind him and boot him in the head. He plummeted twenty feet before regaining control – his arm suddenly extended and grabbed Pan clean by her ankle! The force gathered momentum through his arm and she found herself dashing head-first towards the ground –

A sudden kick to his elasticized arm's elbow knocked the momentum from his toss and Pan found herself free from his grasp, landing with a heavy thud on all-fours safely. Her head spun around and a smile emerged on her lips, "Chuka!"

Chuka had finally joined the battle and was now keeping their foe busy with her own barrage of punches and kicks. Pan instantly dashed up and joined her; the two miniature fighters now bombarding their monstrous enemy with a seemingly endless array of hits. Their attacks quickly tore through his defences and in no time they had the battle cleanly under control. Both warriors drew their fists back and threw them straight for their opponent's jaw-

Two hands suddenly lashed out and grabbed them both. The look of pain and worry over their opponent's face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a smug and crooked smile.

"... Sorry kids. Play time is finished."

Two boots struck both girls straight in the abdomen catching them both by surprise and knocking the wind clean from their lungs. The world suddenly seemed to grow darker and blurred as the wind swept past their ears, falling through the air before another hit – this time to their backs – knocked even more wind from them! Both had fallen to the rocky ground; their opponent landing inches from them with a satisfied smile, watching as his two half-sized opponents spluttered and coughed, wheezing for air and rolling in a bid to recover themselves. "Oi, oi... Still conscious after a kick like that? You ain't no ordinary brats..." He mused, eyes widening with anticipation as Chuka slowly rose to her knees. "What? Was that not enough for you? Need something stronger to make you stay down? I can't spend all my time playing with you two. I got Dragonballs to go find."

Pan rolled onto her front and rubbed her stomach. Something didn't quite sit with her; he'd just knocked her and Chuka from the skies and now he was taunting them? It didn't make sense to her! "Why... Why are you still here?" She spluttered rising up to her feet, attempting to stand with a straight back except the soreness and pain of her stomach kept her reeled over. "If the Dragonballs are that important, surely you'd have just left here without giving us lip!"

The tall warrior smirked and nodded, "True... Perhaps I don't need to look for the balls; perhaps I _can_ spend some time with you brats."

Chuka gasped as a potentially horrifying possibility hit her. She hoped it wasn't true, she prayed it wasn't true but she had to confirm it! "... So you've got friends?"

"You caught on quick," The monster chuckled, his smirk warping to a crooked sneer. "Yes, I'm not the only one on this planet looking for the Dragonballs. You may have thought you were doing your friends a favour by distracting me while they run off, but in reality the plan's actually working the other way around. You see you're not keeping me from getting the Dragonballs from those other brats; I'm the one keeping you two from rescuing them from my allies."

Chuka's heart sank as a fresh wave of fear struck her. Her cousin and little brother were still targets and neither of them could really defend themselves! She herself wasn't much of a fighter but she wasn't just going to stand by and do nothing! "Shio and Bra are in trouble!" She cried, itching to pounce from the ground and dash off in a futile attempt to find her cousin and brother before something terrible happened to them!

Their opponent dashed straight for them; his movement caught Chuka off-guard. In a flash she'd been swept clean off her feet whilst Pan had leapt over their foe and avoided the outstretched arm aimed at choking her. Chuka felt something solid strike her in the back of the head as she connected with a boulder, her foe grabbing her by the scruff of her shirt and tossing her straight through the rocky ground.

Pan charged in but was anticipated; their opponent turning his attention on her and dodging her kick. A sharp blow to her abdomen reignited the crippling feeling Pan'd endured not so long ago; another clip to her cheek sent her bolting head-first into a rocky outcrop, taking the layers of rock above her clean off and vanishing into the rubble as the top came crashing down around her.

The tall, dark monster's feet touched the ground. _"Putt, have you located the two moving Dragonballs?"_ Unbeknownst to his two opponents, he was communicating with his allies via telepathy.

"_Not far off them, Borru,"_ A voice he recognised well responded. _"Two kids, right?"_

"_Yeah, two kids,"_ The monster referred to as Borru answered. _"Don't let your guard down – the two kids I've got stuck here are pretty impressive for mere humans. I'm thinking there's more to this planet than meets the eye..."_

"_Serious? I'll keep an eye out for anything suspicious then."_

A sudden blast from the ground tore Borru away from his conversation and he leapt up just for Chuka's attack to miss. She'd shot straight through the ground and was now soaring high above her opponent, two hands above her head. With a roar Chuka threw her attack down in a blinding flash of light, the ki attack not that fast but packing a large amount of energy inside of it. Borru drew one arm back and bellowed out as he struck the beam head-on, diverting it back up towards its wielder! Chuka screamed in the panic and narrowly dodged her attack as it shot past her and up into the skies, erupting thousands of metres above them in a terrific display of yellow light and a thunderous roar. The shockwaves pounded the ground below sweeping strong gusts across a localised segment, large clouds of dirt and chucks of dislodged ground swirling dangerously in the powerful winds.

Chuka shuddered whilst attempting to keep herself in place. That had been all of her power and he'd knocked it back as if it were nothing! _'We can't beat him! I wish Mama was here to fight this thing! She'd know what to do!'_ She wailed to herself as the reality was reinforced. _'Crud, how am I supposed to do anything? I'm not even a Super Saiyan! This sucks!'_

Borru's speed had increased further. In the blink of an eye he hovered beside the off-guard child and knocked her to the right with one clean back-handed swipe. Chuka bolted through the air unable to control herself, knocked down several more times as Borru struck again and again, too fast for her to recover and escape the barrage as she was thrown in every direction like a ping-pong ball. One two-fisted dunk to the head sent her straight to the ground; bouncing roughly and skidding to a halt. Chuka coughed, certain the bizarre taste of iron in her mouth was real, as was the feeling of something falling down her cheek. She'd managed to bite her tongue in one of the hits and knew she was bleeding. Her clothes felt like they were in tatters as they now hung around her in odd places and she could feel several fresh wounds across her limbs, each stinging as the breeze swept across them.

Slowly rising to a kneeling position, a dizzy spell came over her and Chuka collapsed back onto her front. Her body shook under the sudden lack of energy and it took all her willpower and more to stay conscious and not give into her body's wishes to black out. She was in far too dangerous a situation to let it win!

Borru landed a couple of metres from the child, a jaded expression on his face. "You're no fun." He muttered raising one arm out before him and fully flexing his fingers out. "You don't have the Dragonball on you so there's no need to keep you around," A ki ball emanated from his hand, quickly growing bigger and bigger. The wind once again picked up and a light dusting of loose sand and dirt brushed past the demi-Saiyan with a light sting to it. Her eyes widened when she realised what was causing the sandblasting, body either too lacking in energy or frozen with horror to let her move! She couldn't live it down if she didn't even try to flee; the imminent danger was staring her straight in the face!

The ki attack was fired.

Chuka felt her body be consumed by adrenaline but her legs faltered, body falling back to the ground with no time to rise once more without being struck. She clamped her eyes shut with a wail drowned out by the roar of the wind which had suddenly changed direction. The oncoming light flashed and diverted to the tops of her eyeline; Chuka opened one baffled eye after a few seconds and cautiously looked back at her foe.

Pan stood between them, inches in front of Chuka, body consumed in the easily recognisable glowing aura, hair shimmering gold around her neck, trapped down by the bandana upon her head. She'd taken a small battering from her latest issue and was showing signs of breathlessness yet still she stood firm and strong in front of her friend, protecting her from the attack that had once been charging for her.

The sudden alteration in Pan's form had not been expected from her foe; Borru stood with a little appearance of bewilderment on his scarred face, though he was clearly not overwhelmed by the transformation. "Interesting," He mused to himself, "They can alter their form... There are not many non-Makai creatures I know of that can perform such a feat."

"Chuka, take a break," Pan glanced over her shoulder. "Gather your ki back up and recover from your earlier attack. I'll try to hold him off by myself and then we'll give this another go!"

"You sure you can take him on as a Super Saiyan?" Chuka asked unconvinced of the answer.

"I'll kick his butt into the morning!" Pan smiled, her confidence somewhat reassuring even if Chuka felt in her heart it was misplaced. Pan had always been like that, either overestimating herself or underestimating the strength of her foe. From experience, most of the time her confidence was well-placed; Pan could hold her own against her uncle and Trunks during sparring sessions, she'd usually dominated Chuka though their dedication to training had a lot to do with it. Chuka feared Pan's certainty was not based on the hard truth but on assumptions and the drive to not give in; she'd have to gather back as much of her own energy as she could as quickly as she could!

The fight continued though this time Pan was better at reading Borru's moves and even countering some attacks. One foot to the cheek caught the monster off-guard and he pelted straight through a mountain side, the rubble crashing around him. A couple of eerie seconds passed; they were the most intense couple of seconds Chuka'd ever experienced, lump in her throat threatening to choke her. Then as expected and feared, the rubble suddenly burst high into the air, shredded into tiny fragments of dust that fell upon them like a light rain. Borru emerged relatively unscathed though there was a slightly noticeable blemish on his cheek where Pan's kick had struck. He wiped his mouth and glared at the tiny Super Saiyan. "... Very interesting." He muttered.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 016 – Save the Children! The Last Remaining Dragonball**

The battle had not gone unnoticed by the two fleeing children; Shio was urging Bra to fly faster even though he knew she was at her maximum. Bra was not a fighter, nor did she train on a regular basis like most of her family. She knew the basics such as ki control but was in no means a warrior. Her motives for learning these powers was not to save humanity from any threat that came its way, they were far more self-serving!

"Shio, slow down!" The fiery-tempered girl snapped with a huff on her breath, body tired and sluggish from having to fly so fast for so long.

"You're going too slow, Auntie Bra!" Shio called over his shoulder. "Why don't you let me carry you instead? I can do it; you're not that heavy!"

"No way!" Bra bellowed with a redder complexion, "I don't want your help – I just want you to slow the hell down!" Stubbornness to accept help could have come from either of her parents; she knew it'd be the quicker option but her unwillingness to let someone else do it for her made her stick to the far more dangerous option. Pan's blue rucksack still rested upon her back, both hands tightly wrapped around the shoulder straps. Bra was not going to take any chances with the two small orbs resting inside the bag; she was going to get her wish! Still she needed to somehow gather the four Dragonballs that monster had, plus the last remaining ball...

Shio anxiously kept his mouth shut, knowing arguing with Bra was as useful as arguing with a brick wall. He hated how stubborn she was being right now and couldn't shake off the feeling they were being followed. The sun was setting before them and had been ever since they'd taken flight; heading westbound meant the dusk was lasting a lot longer than normal. At first Shio'd attempted to shake the seriousness of their dilemma off by turning their travel into a game, trying to keep the sun above the horizon. That game had quickly gotten old when he remembered how slow he would have to fly for Bra to keep up with him. Shortly after that, the concern and anxiety had returned; the dark, long shadows below them were not helping the five-year-old calm himself down!

Bra's eyes widened, "Shio GET DOWN!" She bellowed frantically.

Shio suddenly felt himself be pulled clean out of the sky; Bra bolting down after him in a bid to stop his fall. Something grabbed her by the ankle and snatched her away from the direction she was flying in, "Hey!" She snapped attempting to spot what was holding onto her and letting her hang upside-down! Attached to her ankle was a long, dark arm; the figure was barely visible over the darkening sky but Bra could make out two yellow eyes – either they were natural or this monster had jaundice! The anger in his expression sent a chill down her spine but she did not feel the intimidation behind it; she had a naturally angry-looking father and brother so this was nothing she wasn't used to! "Let me go!" She protested.

"You have the Dragonballs," The monster spoke, his breath making Bra gag and retch, pinching her nose in disgust. "Hand them to me or die."

Shio had landed on the ground with a thud and was nursing a cut to his elbow when he heard Bra scream. His heart warped into overdrive and before he knew it, the young boy had launched himself into the sky straight for his aunt, who was desperately trying to keep hold of the rucksack! One fist drew back as he fired off a ki blast straight for the monster; their foe easily dodged whilst a flailing Bra narrowly missed being hit!

"Idiot! Watch where you're aiming those things!" Bra bellowed, throwing the bag back onto her shoulders. Several different scenarios were colliding in her mind, none of which seemed like feasible ideas. One option making itself more known was leaving her nephew to handle this monster by himself whilst she rushed the balls to West City. It was no good; Bra couldn't leave her five-year-old nephew to face this insane power level – he was way beyond either of their leagues. If only her father could somehow sense she was in danger and come to help them, or her brother? Wasn't Trunks supposed to be with Goten somewhere today? Why could she not sense anyone flying towards them to help them against this brute?!

The towering being turned his eyes on the small boy twenty feet below them. In a flash he'd vanished.

Bra gasped and instinctively clutched onto the straps of her bag as tightly as she could in fear she'd suddenly lose possession of it.

Her fears were misplaced.

Shio gagged as a fist slammed straight into his solar plexus, knocking the wind and energy from his body with one powerful strike. His world blacked out in almost an instant and he fell to the ground, crashing with a thud and a light scattering of dust.

"Sh-Shio!" Bra cried horrified; she'd sensed the force behind the punch and knew in her heart and mind that her sister's son was now in mortal danger. That one punch had more than enough power to knock him from consciousness; this monster could very easily kill both him and her if he truly wanted to.

Shio did not rise, nor did he move from his position upon the dirt. Bra bolted down towards him, passing the powerful brute on her way and scraping the ground as she landed, kneeling down beside her nephew and checking for signs of life. He had a pulse but his breathing was laboured; that could be easily explained by the punch to his gut. Bra pulled a strand of hair behind her ear and attempted to roll her nephew over into the recovery position; the sound of heavy footsteps landing inches from her stopped her in her tracks; their foe stood towering over them.

"The Dragonballs, please?" He muttered dryly.

Bra could feel her heart beating wildly inside her ribs, her own breathing quickening as the fear and helplessness swept over her. There was nothing she could do except fight; she would not hand the Dragonballs over so easily! With a roar Bra begrudgingly dashed forwards drawing back a fist, "Not on your life!" She screamed. Her punches and kicks were all in vain; none connected with the tall monster and in no time Bra had worn herself out; her foe clearly toying with her as he dodged each and every one of her attacks. One well-placed chop to the head was all it took to take Bra down, knocking her straight to the floor. Her head stung where he'd struck and her face burned from its contact with the ground.

Conscious the bag was in a clear-grabbing position, Bra hurriedly rolled onto her back and scurried back a few steps, infuriated when the monster did nothing but watch with that irritating, confident smirk on his face. She knew she was outclassed so why was he delighting in toying with her? How dare he! Bra stumbled to her feet, cursing her and her nephew's luck. There was no one around to help them keep the Dragonballs and she had just given herself proof she couldn't protect them against a monster like this! What was she expected to do; just hand over the Dragonballs willingly?

"The Dragonballs, please?" The man repeated just as dryly as he'd done the first time.

Bra bared her teeth, "Why do you want them so badly? How do you even know about them?" She demanded. Perhaps if she could stall him enough, someone could come to her aid!

The vacant look upon his face changed and in the blink of an eye he'd lodged a boot to Bra's stomach, sending her shooting backwards through several trees and crashing in a heap. Bra chocked and crashed to the ground on her rear, still conscious but now having to deal with the crippling pain in her stomach and her back. _'Damn it! Why'd I have to be sucked into this stupid search anyway? Collect the Dragonballs and make a wish – I'm such an idiot!'_ She cursed herself.

"Yes, you are an idiot," The man responded gruffly. "I am tired of this. For the final time – and if you choose not to comply with my demands then I'll just have to kill you and the other brat! The Dragonballs, please?"

Bra clenched her shaking fists and clamped her eyes shut. She did not want to die but she really did not want to give up the two Dragonballs Pan and Chuka'd already collected! If she gave them up then they'd have none while this monster would have six! Still... there was the seventh ball to consider... providing it was where she anticipated it to be. Was it really worth her risking her life to protect two round spheres? She'd call anyone else a moron for dying in a scenario just like this, so why should it be any different if it was her?

One strap slipped off her shoulder quickly followed by the other. Begrudgingly Bra took the bag off her back; however she did not hand it over to the man. The expression on her face told him this wasn't going to go as smoothly as he'd wanted.

"I have one request to make before I hand these over," Bra spoke sternly and commandingly. "I'll hand over the two balls we have and you let us live!" She may only have been a girl of ten but Bra had a sense of maturity and leadership far beyond her years. She knew her initial reaction of screaming her head off would not get her anywhere; the only way she could now make it alive out of this situation was by reasoning and bargaining with this brute. Whether he'd be a man of his word – or even agree to her deal – Bra did not know; she only hoped her luck would pull her through and stop him from killing them both.

The man seemed to lull the notion over a little. "... You're trying to make a deal with me, kid? I don't think you're in a position to be bargaining with me!" He snorted cruelly. "It amuses me you even think I'll agree to this! Fine, for being such a daring little brat, I'll humour you... I'll let you and the little kid live."

Bra took in a small breath and chucked the blue rucksack over to the taller monster; he caught it with one hand clasping the entire bag in his palm.

The cruel smirk that crossed his face sent a chill down Bra's spine. She didn't need to hear his words to know what was about to happen! With a terrific roar the man unleashed a terrifyingly powerful dome of his own ki, destroying everything in its path. Bra ran as fast as she could, not daring to look over her shoulder as she rushed over towards Shio. The horrifying roar of the ground being torn up inches from her heels kept her running, drowning out her own wails and the loud beats of her heart in her ears. She was closing in on him, so close!

The ground beneath her feet was shredded and Bra screamed as she was thrown up into the sky.

The immediate area went up in a terrifying explosion of light, accompanied by a thunderous howl.

* * *

Chuka's heart felt as if it'd stopped as soon as she'd sensed the terrific explosion off to the west. Her brother and her aunt's ki suddenly vanished off the face of the earth; no matter how much she tried to look for it, their ki wasn't there...

How could this have happened? No one should have died - no one! How was she supposed to deal with this? Her little brother had been sent away from her protection in the hopes he could make it back to Capsule Corp; there he was then supposed to have been protected by their grandpa Vegeta! He and Bra weren't supposed to have been ambushed and then murdered! They weren't supposed to be gone! Her heart lurched as a horrible feeling began to weigh her down inside her stomach, the discomfort seeping through her torso and rising up her neck.

Chuka gave a howl of despair and threw her hands to the ground with the frustration she felt towards herself. She should never have sent them both off to their deaths! She and Pan should have protected them!

The battle against Borru wasn't going as well as they'd hoped. Pan seemed to have had an advantage for a while but whatever advantage they'd had was now long gone. She was growing weary while their opponent didn't seem to be growing tired at all, by now it seemed he was toying with her! Defiance to the hard truth was something Pan'd always been good at. Her mother and father both said there was a lot of it that ran in their families, particularly when it came to her grandfathers. Despite it being painfully clear the two demi-Saiyan fighters would lose this fight, Pan still insisted on fighting. Chuka hoped it hadn't been to buy Bra and Shio some time; clearly that plan had failed.

Pan was not oblivious to her friend's sorrow; she too had noticed the disappearance of Bra and Shio's energies and it tore her. She'd been so sure her plan would work; she'd been so certain they'd be able to make it back without being found... without being hurt. She'd never thought in a million years they'd be killed!

Borru hovered a few metres from her, arms folded with a smug look upon his face. Apparently he too knew of the news. "Looks like Putt overdid it! That guy's always getting carried away, likes to kill anything that moves or gets in his way..."

Pan sent a venomous look towards the tall, dark-skinned monster. "Shut. Up." She spat through a growl. Her anger was bubbling under the surface at the unfair death of her two friends; her best friend's brother and aunt.

Borru took delight in seeing how much his words were bothering the little fighter before him; there was little threat in her now, she'd already used up most of her power from what he could tell as her hits were getting sloppier. How much more could he torment her he wondered?

He didn't have time to utter another word before Chuka's shrill scream pierced their ears. Her ki suddenly bolted higher and higher as the emotion that'd been swelling up engulfed her. The fury, the sheer fury she felt towards herself, the helplessness for not being able to protect two of her own family members, the guilt of knowing they'd been killed, the anguish she felt and fury towards their killers, the tugging feeling knowing she was indirectly responsible for it all happening. Now her brother was dead and her parents... She couldn't bear it! It was all too much; she couldn't let anything like this happen ever again!

Pan's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and delight as she gazed down upon her friend. Her heart went out to her; of course she felt horrible Chuka's family had been murdered, yet the result of it all was fantastic news. The signature golden hair was clearly there; Chuka's rage fuelling her transformation into the legendary Super Saiyan form.

Fury swept across her shimmering green eyes; with a twitch of her leg she darted up into the sky, slapping her foe clean across the face; Borru had been so transfixed and stunned by the sudden transformation he'd left his guard down. Suddenly he'd now found himself with two Super Saiyans to contend with – not aware that either of them were Saiyans, or what a Saiyan was! All he knew was Pan was revitalized whilst Chuka's emotions had given her a large boost in power. The girl who normally disliked fighting was suddenly initiating the battle, animalistic fury in her grief-stricken eyes as she dished out attack after attack. Her mind was swarming with the rabid race of malicious thoughts, determined that the cause of her loss had to be smothered in the harshest, most painful way she could think of. No mercy, just unreserved, strong action to make it feel just how she felt.

Unfortunately the blinding will of her anger meant her attacks were far from accurate and perfect, just sloppy and heavy handed. Borru soon found a hole in their oppression and dived clean for cover, shooting back towards the ground and landing with a thud, spinning on his heels with a look of amazement and irritation etched across his scarred face. He could feel blood slowly dripping down his chin, fuelling his internal rage as one fist tightened until the knuckles lightened.

Both girls shot towards him at a terrifying pace; Pan's attack being easily sidestepped and Chuka's blind fury being met in an equally fast dance of blocks. This time her wrath did not overwhelm him, even when Pan rejoined the fight. She was still worn from her solo fight with him whilst Chuka's emotional state was now working against her, draining her body fast of stamina. One back-handed slap to the shoulder sent Chuka goring straight into Pan, knocking both girls to the right several hundred metres as they crashed heavily to the dirt, skidding and tumbling roughly for several more metres before both came to an abrupt halt. The slap had knocked more conscious sense into Chuka and the sudden stinging and aches of her joints from her reckless attacks suddenly hit her; it had been overshadowed by the burning in her veins and strong desire to cause pain; now the initial adrenaline had gone and all it left was the bitter, strong force of sorrow threatening to dampen her will to fight.

Being the stronger and better-practised out of the two, Pan was the first to rise back to her feet, albeit hunching over forwards slightly due to the damage she'd taken on. Her breath was laboured and short, her shoulders and chest heaving as she attempted to feed her body the adequate levels of oxygen it needed. Eyes blurred every-so-often but Pan shook herself free, refusing to fall victim to the call of unconsciousness. Her body ached, all her muscles groaning out lacking the energy they once held. She couldn't stop her arms from shaking, having more success with steadying her legs. It wouldn't be too long now until she found herself unable to sustain her transformation; time was of the essence and she had to make every moment count. She could sense the others on the planet had awoken to the sudden feel of her ki, no doubt roused further by the disappearance of Bra and Shio's energies. There was now a glimmer of hope that there would be at least two survivors of this evening, providing help arrived in time.

"Uncle and Trunks are coming," She whispered quietly so only Chuka could hear; from the sounds Pan could hear, Chuka was attempting to get back onto her feet. "We can do this, we just need to hold on until they arrive."

"They're still too far away," Chuka frowned, not sharing Pan's optimism as she wiped her jaw gingerly, brow falling to a knot when she saw the blood stains on her shredded sleeve. "... It's too much, Pan. I can't do this..." Her limbs were shaking violently, her will struggling to hold back the knotting feeling of discomfort that once more rose to her neck, threatening to choke her of calm breath and control of her tears which themselves were attempting to flow free. The loss had finally hit her full-on and had crushed her will to fight, she couldn't do anything until this powerful desire to release her tensions was fulfilled.

The wind suddenly picked up as a loud howl pierced the evening air. Up above, darkness gathered quicker than the setting sun would normally allow; dark clouds had gathered and were now blocking out the remnants of the fading light in the west. Their shadow had fallen quickly over the girls and their opponent, making it even harder for them to spot him amongst the black silhouettes of the bluffs and boulders surrounding them. It was the first time Pan had noticed it but there seemed to be a faint dark mist around Borru's body, his eyes slightly luminous in the dark, like a cat catching the light in its eyes. It sent chills down her spine as an ominous feeling crept over her, unsure whether it was the cooling effect of the clouds or a looming sense of peril. Something had occurred in Borru as soon as the clouds had shrouded out the last few glimmers of light from the setting sun and it filled Pan with a sense of dread and restlessness, the chill of the wind causing her shakes to worsen.

With the feeling of dread came the action to back it up; Borru's speed was far greater than before; neither child had any time to consciously realise he'd moved before two balls of ki were inches from their stomachs. Realisation kicked in but before reaction could occur, the ki blasts had them shooting rapidly backwards, the chill of the air amplified by their movements, their screams drowned out by the howl of the currents of air blasting past them.

Several deep strikes to her abdomen followed by one uppercut against her chin weakened Pan further; her darkened hair floating in all directions as she was beaten like a punching bag, body too cold and rigid to react to the attack. What was going on? She couldn't move a muscle! Was it exhaustion kicking in or had the sudden change in weather had an effect upon her that she hadn't been aware of? No matter how much her mind cried out for her to move, she couldn't force a limb to twitch, or a muscle to contract! Her vision was compromised further as something heavy struck her in the side of the head, around her temple and knocking all visible light from her sight. The last thing she felt was herself striking something large and solid with her entire body.

Borru landed inches from his chosen foe, who'd long ago lost her transformation. The effects of his aura seemed to have an amplified effect now that the sun had been blocked off by the clouds he'd summoned. Unlike most mortals who'd use transformations to increase their power and speed, Borru's race amongst the Makai realm used a different source to increase their power levels. The lack of light boded well with them, especially since the planet he came from circled around a distant white dwarf star which did not face half the side of his home planet; it was common fact with his people that their power increased in the darker and colder conditions. Though this planet was far warmer than he was used to, he was pleased to be able to harness the usage of its night.

Both fighters seemed to be down for good this time, or so Borru assumed. He had been surprised to see one of Pan's hands shift in the corner of his eye, eyes glued to the girl before him. Despite her now bleeding heavily from a wound somewhere at the back of her head, she was attempting to get back up off her face, back onto her feet. Borru watched with astonishment and respect for her endurance; he hadn't expected to come across an infant capable of withstanding the injuries he'd inflicted on her. Without a seconds thought, Borru approached her and quickly stood towering over her, his almost camouflaged shadow falling over her. Bending over without bending his legs, he grabbed the girl by her hair and hauled her up, Pan hoarsely crying out with pain as sharp agony suddenly made her feel as if her head was on fire. Defiantly and a little confused at first, she opened one eye, Borru seeing the strain and fatigue in her dark orbs. A sneer emerged across his face.

"Why do you persist so much?" He spat in her face. "You've lost. Your Dragonballs have been taken and your friends killed..." He lowered her a little so she no longer hung with her face level to his. He wondered why he was still here, why he was still beating the tar out of these two weaklings when he knew their objective had been reached. There was no more need for him to fight them; he'd distracted them from saving their friends whilst Putt had taken their Dragonballs.

Pan grimaced, attempting to conjure up one last burst of energy. Her limbs felt like they weighted a tonne each, heavy and practically unusable due to the immense strain and damage she'd taken. Her body willed her to rest but her heart and soul told her she could not, she had to protect Chuka and herself, she had to fight on so she could take back the Dragonballs. She could feel herself managing to pull her ki up one arm, willing it one last time to form a ki blast in her palm that she could fire at this monster, gaining a little relief in knowing she gave it everything she had. _'I'm sorry Dad, I'm sorry Mother... everyone else... I lost the... the Dragonballs...'_ Her half-opened eye widened slightly more as the light of two dots appeared from behind her captor.

Borru sensed the slight change in her ki and noticed a ki blast struggling to form in her palm. A smirk appeared on his face, followed by a loud cackle of laughter. "You really are interesting, kid! How you're still conscious I don't know, but I congratulate you for showing some spunk!" He drew her up once more so Pan was face-to-face with him, his breath making her nose curl and face wince with disgust. Borru drew his free fist back. "Do me a favour now and just stay down? This might sting a little."

"Put her down."

Borru's smile dropped as the sound of a man's voice reached his ears. He turned to look over his shoulder; a few feet behind him stood a young man with short, dark hair that stood up on its ends though tilting towards the right a little. The stern frown on his face added with the clenched fists which he held by his sides were more clear indicators alongside the tone in his voice that the man was displeased with the site he saw. Borru merely smiled at him, turning fully and showing him the girl he still held by her hair, as if he were showing off the largest catch of the day with pride. "You want her?" He asked intrigued. The man did seem to share some similar features as this girl; he assumed they were related in some way.

Goten nodded without a word, though he raised one hand outwards as if he was expecting Borru's captive to fit in the palm of his hand.

Borru sneered and pulled Pan back a little before chucking her forward.

Pan's barely-conscious state felt the world spin around her until something stopped her; she could feel two strong, warm arms holding her close to what she assumed was a chest. Opening one eye once again, she was met with the warm, dark eyes of her uncle who merely glanced down at her with a comforting smile. Pan blinked a couple of times, convinced it was a dream or an illusion, until finally she realised it was all real. "... Hi Uncle Goten..." She murmured weakly.

"Try to rest now, Pan," Goten ushered his niece with a reassuring smile. "Everything's going to be ok now."

Borru shared little interest in Goten as Goten did with him. He had no need to be here anymore; his target had been captured and was back on its way to his leader. With that in mind he pushed off the ground, not bidding his victim's captive a farewell or giving any warning.

Truth was he hadn't expected to be kicked clean from the sky! The kick had caught him completely by surprise as Trunks' foot connected clean between Borru's brows, forcing him to collide with the ground and punch a twenty-foot hole into its surface! Trunks landed a fair distance from where Borru had impacted; he'd gone to inspect Chuka and her injuries. At first he'd been fearful he'd lost a niece as well as his nephew though closer inspection showed she was out cold and not dead.

"... What's going on?" Pan asked, determined not to let her body slip into its slumber before she had a few more questions answered. "Why'd..."

"Shush!" Goten butted in, settling his niece down on the ground. "We came as fast as we could. Piccolo and Hairiyu went after Shio and Bra; they left later than we did so hopefully they should have arrived by now..." Their original intention was to rescue all four children; Goten and Trunks had both sensed Bra and Shio's departure though their instructions were to save Pan and Chuka, no matter how much Trunks had wanted to turn back and seek revenge for the fall of his sister. The fury had burned quietly inside both demi-Saiyans, perhaps more so within Trunks.

Borru emerged from his entrance to the rocky terrain; the malicious intension reeked off from his ki as two burning bright eyes glared over towards Trunks, who still had his back turned to the monster. Though his anger and embarrassment urged him to return the unsuspected attack, his duty was upheld and once again he made a bid to leave the site.

Trunks and Goten suddenly turned their attention to him and fired off energy beams. This time Borru did retaliate, sending down his own two attacks which collided with the oncoming ones in mid-air. The area erupted with a terrific rumble as dust and wind forcefully washed over the immediate area, both men having to hold their rescuées close to the ground so they were not dragged away by the winds along with debris.

Borru emerged unscathed from the dust cloud that'd formed, his anger well and truly provoked. "Why do you insist on continuing this pointless fight?!" He bellowed loudly for all to hear. "I am done here; I have no interest in fighting any more of you maggots! Now be gone and savour what's left of your whelp's platoon!"

"You might not be interested..." Trunks' voice was suddenly inches from Borru's left ear; the monster span and scrambled back a few metres, startled by how quickly the lavender-haired man had moved. "... but we are interested in fighting you."

"You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us," Goten's close proximity startled Borru who shifted to the left a few metres, impressed and nervous with both men's speed and ability to creep up on him. He didn't understand; the darkness was meant to be his realm, his advantage, his cloak to help him stay concealed! First these two children had proven to him they could take what he could dish out, and now there were two men (not that much older than the whelps from the looks of it) who were even stronger and faster? What was he supposed to do? These two had clearly shown they had no intention in letting him go; what choice did he have other than to destroy them and then kill the two brats, if all they were going to do was continue to hound him?

Trunks smiled, "Oh, I know it wasn't you who did the deed... but that kick I caught you off-guard with was for my sister and my nephew. Just consider yourself lucky it came from me and not his mother!"

Borru narrowed his eyes at this remark, "Hurting someone just because you can't punish the one who hurt you?" A chuckle escaped his throat, "Interesting... I didn't think that sort of concept was capable in the Kaioshin's Realm. This Universe is more tainted than I thought it'd be," He muttered more to himself, raising his voice as he continued, "Let me clear up a few things: you have no intention on letting me leave, do you?"

"Sorry," Goten shook his head.

"No intention in the slightest," Trunks added.

Borru smiled and closed his eyes, "... I see."


End file.
